


The Soldiers from beyond the Iron Curtain.

by Optimisticinfluencerbouquet



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Anti-Sokovia Accords, Bisexual Bucky Barnes, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Brainwashed Bucky Barnes, Bucky Barnes Has PTSD, Eventual Happy Ending, HYDRA Trash Party, Irish Steve Rogers, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, M/M, Metal Prosthetics, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Red Room (Marvel), Romanian Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers Has PTSD, Steve Rogers as the Winter Soldier, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, Younger Bucky Barnes, Younger Steve Rogers, amputations, because serious rights violations, because there is not enough amputee Steve Rogers, brainwashed steve rogers, hydra being generally horrible
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:27:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 73,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24154279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Optimisticinfluencerbouquet/pseuds/Optimisticinfluencerbouquet
Summary: It had taken only three weeks since the news broke about the loss of the young Captain Rogers and Howling commando Barnes to two separate mission, one from falling from a train in the alps and the other placing a plane into the north arctic ocean.Many allied countries raced to find the missing bodies, but searches where called off within weeks. Nations mourned there heroic sacrifices, whilst from the shadows hydra made there move.Under orders from there captured leader Arnim Zola and his new found Russian allies hydra quickly re-organised itself into the shadows, infiltrating the countries who once swore to defeat them. He knew exactly where to find the two fallen soldiers. it took weeks to organise searches into the alps and north arctic.It took less time to find the bodies of the two allied heroes in there icy graves and revive them. Death was not the end for either of the soldiers, they would endure a fate far worse, with a legacy and ledger dripping with blood. As hydra's fists from beyond the iron curtain. sowing chaos for decades to come.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 39
Kudos: 71





	1. Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End.

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Folie a Deux](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11838204) by [cloud_wolfbane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloud_wolfbane/pseuds/cloud_wolfbane). 



> A hydra stucky Au, with a hopeful happy ending.  
> I have changed Steve and Bucky’s time line a bit, Project rebirth was in the spring of 1942 in this not autumn 1942, I wanted to make it seem like both men had been on the front lines for a lot longer than they actually had been, and that Bucky had been immediately drafted by Christmas 1941 with Steve enlisting as soon as he could upon hearing about the draft to be with Bucky.   
> Both of them are going to be younger too, Bucky at 19, born in 1922 and Steve at 18 years old, born in 1923, by 1941 anyways, old enough to be handed the draft and enlist.   
> Partly inspired by Folie a Deux by cloud_wolfbane go read that first. its amazing.

Chapter one. The beginning of the end.

“Remember when I made you ride the Cyclone at Coney Island?” an armed man in a blue pea coat chuckled as he stood looking over the edge of the cliff they were on. Talking to a slightly taller man beside him in an outfit of a lighter blue colour with white and red. These men where Captain Steven Grant Rodgers and Sargent James Buchanan Barnes, otherwise known as Captain America and his sidekick/second in command Bucky Barnes.  
“And I threw up?” his partner replied with a hint of a chuckle to his voice.  
Bucky looks over the edge again, eyeing the three hundred odd foot drop before him.  
“This isn’t payback, is it?”  
Steve looks over at him with a sly shit-eating grin.  
“Now why would I do a thing like that?” he said innocently getting a rouse out of Bucky who stifled a laugh.   
“Jerk.” He chuckled  
“Punk.” The captain smirked back. The pair of them turned around to the rest of the howling commandos. They where finishing setting up there equipment for this mission, to capture a scientist at the top of hydra. Doctor Arnim Zola. Most of there targets and hydra bases had fallen, concentration camps where liberated and nazi’s surrendering in every village town and city the group of men went to, they where so close to finishing the war now and they kept pushing. Defeating Nazi’s and hydra soldiers everywhere they went. Little did either commando know just how horribly wrong their final missions in the war would be.

For James Buchanan Barnes, his service in the US army and howling commandos squadron ended that cold march morning in the alps in 1945. One moment ago, he was standing inside a relatively warm storage compartment of the train; he had felt relief for a moment, a chance to end the nightmare that was this war and a chance to spend some time with his best man away from the gunfire. It still made him speechless when he looked at the transformation, even now, a year, nearly two and a half since it happened, nearly three since he shipped out. It was speechless in a good way, knowing there would be no more fear of his friend falling victim to any more illnesses or plagues. That they may get the chance of a long life together. He silently wondered if what Zola had injected him with was what they gave to his friend.   
He couldn’t say anything as they ducked for cover as shots were fired at them once again. He pulled up the shield, surprisingly lighter than before and fired at their assailant. The blast hit the shield and in a moment of chaos all the warmth he had felt moments ago was lost. His arm outstretched as the warped metal rail holding him up gave out.  
“SSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!”

The look of fear in the other’s eyes as they screamed each other’s names, the railing gave out. He plunged down the side of the chilling ravine, cold winds and snow drifts from the mountainside hitting him as he went crashing into the side of the cliffs. Sharp pain flared through his left arm before he took the brunt force of solid Ice, knocking him unconscious in the process temporarily, he finally landed at the bottom of the ravine, right into a freezing river of ice. The shock of the cold waking him up as he began to sink under, weighed down with his heavy wet clothes and tactical gear. Mind numbing pain flared through his back, legs and arm as the water, slowly bleeding red, dragged him back under was the last thing he remembered as the rocks of the mountainside came loose and pinned him down to the bottom of the river as it began to freeze around him before being overcome with pain and the cold sensation of drowning in the river that wrapped him in its cold embrace. As he slowly drifted into the dark abyss, he cried out one last time for his best man, bubbles of air the only noise that could be heard as he fell to the cold dark embrace of the water around him as the ice set.

For Steven Grant Rodgers, his service to the US army, the SSR and howling commandos squadron ended not long after his sergeants, his service ended three days after his sergeants ended, having been shipped from the alps to London and back to a rashly made camp near the final Hydra base located back in the Alps. Hundreds of miles away from where his beloved sergeant died. Wind blew into the blonde-haired captains face as he stared out the half-broken window at the white plain below him. Hypoxia from the extremely high altitudes affecting nothing, the serum in his veins keeping him fully conscious and lucid. The glass having shattered in the fight strew around him on the catwalk as he struggled with the bomber’s controls, the aftermath of the assault on the hydra base. A plane loaded with Bombs all designated for eastern coast cities in the United States, had launched with the red skull flying it. He could hardly make tell of what he was saying to Agent Carter through the radio, not that it made any difference now. He had no choice in this, there was no way the bomber would be able to land safely with the amount of active nuclear weapons on board. Too many people would die if he attempted to land it in America. No, the captain knew what he had to do and knew that there was no way to avoid it. He pitched the plane down towards the ice. The roar of the cold wind that numbed his exposed face, and left ice forming in his hair blocked out most of the noise that was coming over the radio. He looked out of the window as the icy plain below came hurtling closer and closer. 

He didn’t hear the radio cut as he was flung out of the seat at the control panel, he raised his right hand to protect him, his shield lying behind him somewhere as he groaned in pain at the front of the ship, the control console behind him. The captain rolled from his stomach onto his back with bleary blood-filled eyes, blood pooling into his blue green eyes from a nasty gash across his hairline from where he was flung into a support girder, knocking him unconscious for a few moments, the pain erupting from his right arm waking him up again. There was a crashing noise as part of the bomber broke, a few heavy steel beams falling on his torso pining him down, the burning pain of half melting metal searing into his legs and crushing them at the same time woke him up from his brief sleep. He couldn’t do anything but whimper in pain, his chest, head and neck stiff with searing pain with every spasm, his right arm the worst as large shards of glass and warped steel stood out of it, having ripped into the flesh and muscle tearing it from bone and crushing the remains, leaving it numb as blood gushed from it. His back and torso was the worse, he felt the pain as the impact shattered his back painfully, whilst the steel beams pining him where searing hot, hot from the friction of the air against the planes exterior melting through damaged areas, partially melting some beams, burning into his skin. One name on his lips as he blacked in and out, he couldn’t move it, he was too injured and broken to even do that if he could stay awake long enough. The last thing he remembered from the crash was the groans and cracks the ice made as the ship fell through into the frigid ocean before screaming as it lapped over him, suffocating him. The freezing water wrapping itself around the captain as it pulled him under, as the bomber slid gracefully under the ice. In his last breath he choked out his best man’s name as he fell into the cold dark embrace of the water around him. Freezing solid within minutes. Hoping to see his best man waiting on him on the other side.

Death was not the end for either of the soldiers, they would endure a fate far worse for decades as two teams, hundreds of miles apart found what they had been looking for within days if not weeks of the Captain and Sargent’s disappearance from the front lines.


	2. Chapter 2: Slow Loris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two teams of soldiers have been dispatched in search of the two missing soldiers. One team sent by plane to a cropping of islands which spend 11 and 3/4 of the year completely frozen and barren, the other team to a refrozen glacier in the alps behind enemy lines. 
> 
> After a few weeks each team has come across there prizes treasure, one lying frozen under layers of ice in the heart of a crippled and ruined plane cockpit, the other frozen under layers of ice at the bottom of what was once a river, now reclaimed by the glacier running through the valley. 
> 
> After days of transport both treasures arrive in the countries capital and are moved into secure carriages on a private military train which rumbles along deep into the countryside. What is at the end of the track is the beginning of a dark legacy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slow loris: a small, slow-moving nocturnal Asian primate, known for its cute disarming looks but can secret venom from its mouth which can be fatal to humans.   
> Doctor Arnim Zola: Hydra scientist and leader in the wake of Johann Schmidt death, bright minded innocent looking scientist but very deceptive of his true nature. 
> 
> Both can create chaos, destruction and Death. 
> 
> ss-001 super-soldier serum subject

Within weeks of being arrested, as a reward for his co-operation with the SSR and the American’s, one man was released from allied prisons and back to Switzerland, his home country.   
Doctor Zola smiled friendly and thanked the allied Soldiers for releasing him, a scientist who had been “forced” into working with Hydra over the years, playing the innocents card all the way to his release, looking as innocent and as harmless as a Slow Loris. They underestimated just how deadly the doctor and his secrets could be. 

It didn’t take him long however to leave Switzerland and head deep beyond the Iron curtain that was the Soviet Union, Hydra having secretly, under his orders, set up both an allied partnership with the soviet unions Red Room. This allowed him to set up bases that not even Schmidt knew about and granted him, on condition that Hydra Lend them his newest proposed project. The promise of technology capable of propelling the soviets into the nuclear age, a very tempting gift from hydra in exchange for protection in the soviets backyard and an alliance with the USSR and there red guard. The proposition of not only an atomic weapon but biological weapons in the form of two super soldiers was too much for Stalin and the Red Guard to resist. 

The Swiss hydra leader arrived hours before the assets to his new project arrived, however he would have to keep an eye out on the allies as he knew they could come looking for him at any time, thankfully his ring of spy's would keep him in contact with any changes to the allies and SSR warrants in his name. He was currently sitting in a control room in northern Russia sipping tea quietly whilst he awaited the arrival of the two teams dispatched to collect the assets. Both where scheduled to arrive within the hour, one by plane then loaded onto the train on which the other was located. Quite ironic the doctor laughed. 

It wasn’t even half an hour later did the doctor hear the whistles of a train and loud rumbling sound that signalled that the train had arrived at the base. The Doctor smiled as he made his way out of the control room and down to the loading bay where the two teams had arrived. Each team of Russians consisted of fifteen people, five to keep watch, ten to move the assets. It didn’t take too long for both teams to move there packages out of the train and down onto large loading carts on the platform. When both where secure they where rolled up before Zola. 

Two large cut blocks of ice, where rolled up before the doctor. Two blocks of near translucent blocks of ice with swirls of frozen red water encasing doctor Zola’s awaited prizes. Two bodies, frozen in the ice, dead to the rest of the world. The doctor smiled darkly at the pair before barking out orders.   
“Take them to the lab for further analysis, have both assets remain frozen to allow us to see what injuries they have picked up.” He instructed turning to the two Russian doctors who had been on the trips with the teams. 

In a darkened cool lab, the two soldiers entrapped in there crystal Sarcophagus’s of ice chipped and melted down until the ice was only inches from the bodies encased in them. A few hours later two doctors approached leader Zola, there analysis of their subjects where complete.

“Doctor Zola, Subject ss-076 has noticeable burns on his legs from where he was held down by warped and partially melted support beams and his right arm has been heavily damaged from shrapnel and crushed just under his shoulder joint. He has minor facial lacerations and a major one near his temple and from our first few scans he has at least 16 breaks and fractures to his spinal cord , as well as quite a few broken bones in his legs and his rib cage.” One doctor informed as he stood beside the right block of ice. The doctor standing beside the left moved forward to give his report.   
“Subject ss-075 has suffered similarly; his left arm having been pinned under rock cutting off blood supply and crushing the remaining arm below from just above the elbow. He has multiple lacerations across his chest and torso from colliding with the cliff face and outcroppings. He seems to have multiple broken bones in similar areas as subject ss-076.” The doctor stated.  
“are the arms salvageable?” Zola asked.   
“Subject ss-076 is likely salvageable given time. If he can out heal the spread of frostbite and gangrene which may be a possibility, it will be the weaker of both arms if it does heal in the long run, even with the serum. Subject ss-075’s is not salvageable and will need to be cut off.” The Russian said. Zola sighed, of course he should have realised there would have been injuries.   
“Place both subjects into the freezers, they remain frozen until my colleagues and I agree our next move with our project. I have a few idea’s in mind for replacement limbs but there are other factors that need to be taken into account first before we can proceed to ensure the greatest success.” The doctor said as he turned away from the blocks and began to walk back into the base. “I want all scans to be double checked and accurate measurements of their arms taken before we agree with anything. If they are to become our assets, our fists, then you may take additional measurements to draw up tactical gear for our soldiers and of course, long term storage.” He said. 

The room was silent for a minute whilst the teams of doctors, Russians and Hydra loyalist alike looked at one another before looking at their new leader Zola.  
“Doctor?” one Russian agent asked.   
“We cannot have our winter soldiers run around in the gear they have on them; they will be recognised. No, have both wear matching outfits that will strike fear into our enemy’s and be the last thing they shall see. They shall receive cybernetic implants to replace their lost limbs. Both are harmless in there icy prisons, I would suggest two cryogenics chambers are built to contain them for when they are not in use.” The Swiss hydra leader smiled as he observed his sleeping soldiers.   
The scientists all nodded as a few of them moved off to grab notebooks and parchment paper to begin planning immediately.   
“Sir, we also retrieved this, what shall we do with it?” one Russian officer asked, handing off a large rounded disk… a shield. 

The Shield.

“Ah yes, the shield, strip it of paint and blacken it, leave the red star however. Incorporate the harness into both of our assets new tactical gear, but have it more like a restraint, like a harness tied around rabbid dogs who need control. We shall encourage them both to share the shield but it shall primarily remain subject ss-076. Not only will there new arms strike fear but to those who will see them, they will recognise who our subjects used to be only to meet there death at their hands, after their treatment of course. See to it that the restraints are up to super soldier standard in the laboratories and holding cells, we cannot risk either subject escaping or finding each other before we are ready.” He chuckled, pushing his glasses back up his nose. 

With that he left the room as the two teams bustled around in the cold frigid lab. 

There in the two large blocks of ice, where the bodies of two lost American soldiers. The bodies of Captain Steven Grant Rogers and his second in command Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes. Zola’s newest experimental super-soldier subjects for him to observe and warp. Subject ss-076 being the fallen Captain, and ss-075 being the poor sergeant his last subject during his serum research, the only successful version of his serum. Both having been frozen in death, one falling from a train and the other, crashing a plane, hundreds of miles apart. Reunited under darker circumstances… death would be but a dream that neither would reach.


	3. Chapter 3: deliquesce and absorbance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two teams of technicians ran around a large surgery theatre, checking they had all necessary equipment ready and the two surgical tables disinfected. One doctor looked up as a nurse came through the door with a clip board and a smile, nodding to him. 
> 
> It was time. 
> 
> "Both subjects have been dethawed and are unconscious. They are being transported from the fridge now. have the nurses get ready to begin necessary preparations before we amputate. It is finally time to begin treatment of our soldiers."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for Blood and grievous bodily harm and similar injuries mentioned, amputation warning, mentions to nudity, and non consensual human experimentation. 
> 
> You have been warned.

Two teams of technicians ran around a large surgery theatre, checking they had all necessary equipment ready and the two surgical tables disinfected. One doctor looked up as a nurse came through the door with a clip board and a smile, nodding to him. 

It was time. 

"Both subjects have been dethawed and are unconscious. They are being transported from the fridge now. have the nurses get ready to begin necessary preparations before we amputate. It is finally time to begin treatment of our soldiers."

Within seconds, two tables with heavy restraints where rolled into the surgery theatre. Two men where strapped to the table, one a blonde man with a rotted gored right arm, the other a brunette with a rotted, fractured and twisted left arm, both pale, wet and mostly naked bar the thin grey boxers both where wearing. Not there own underwear. The men lying on the table where unstrapped quickly and hoisted onto the two prepped surgical tables. The stench of rot and death pungent in the air as both where placed on the table. 

The teams of doctors gathered around and looked towards there superior standing on a small platform above both men. He looked around the room and nodded to his fellow doctors. with that the two teams quickly got to work on there two patients. The doctor just smiled as they began to run around the theatre.

Screams pierced the room above the high-pitched whine of a buzz saw, awakening the man, leaving his head buzzing with the noise, and his body tingling with a feeling of extreme coldness. It took him a moment to realise there was two whining noises of a buzz saw. He panicked not knowing where the noise was coming from. He let out a whine as he found he couldn’t move, every muscle strained in utter pain, feeling frozen, wet and stiff. It took him a moment to realise he was the one screaming. The pain from his right arm erupted like it was on fire. 

He was screaming. A saw was being lowered into his right arm, grinding on the bone and slicing through the blackened, rotting flesh of his lower right arm. It was littered with large pieces of glass and steel, with third first degree burns from where the titanium beams of the Valkyrie had begun to melt into his skin. It had left two bright red marks across his legs, marks that burned with utter pain. But the pain was agonising. No known pain killer or anaesthetic was going to be able to knock out a super soldier once he woke up, he realised. One of the downsides of project rebirth. Horror came over his mind that he would have to be awake and feel every agonising cut that was made against his skin. 

His screams only got louder in his pain and panic. 

He scarcely heard orders being barked in German and Russian to the doctors around him. The screams had become so loud that he didn’t know whether they were his or someone else’s. He felt someone stroke his head, forcing him to look up. A familiar hydra scientist smiled down at him before he felt an injection in his neck. The taunting face of a man he arrested smiled darkly at him as his sight blacked out. The good captain gasped in horror as he blacked out unconscious, Zola didn’t need to guess what he was thinking of.  
He knew.

That was a close one; Zola couldn’t have allowed the dear captain to fully regain consciousness just yet. It would risk too much. Set them back in their progress. Especially during his probation under the SSR for good behaviour, he had a few close calls during the past few weeks when sneaking from Europe across the iron curtain to do his work. For either soldier to wake up in such a position where they were unstrapped and quick to react it could spell disaster for hydra’s future. The good doctor didn’t want that to happen. 

The captain’s cries and screams as his metabolism burned through the anesthetic awaking him, had woken the sergeant up, getting him to scream as the pain of amputation registered in his mind. This was only one of their first operations. Hydra’s plan, to convert the two fallen America soldiers into their own personal attack dogs. His screams had woken the good sergeant up, something he didn’t want to risk. If they had registered the screams of the other who would have known what would have happened.  
Although given there state, the doctor could only guess that they would have made it to the main doors of the lab before collapsing. 

“Keep both subjects under until I say so. It is too early to have them wake up. It is critical we complete phase one as planned.” Zola barked viciously as the surgeons returned to sawing away at the rotting arms.  
They had both become infected within hours of being defrosted, with gangrene and frost bite causing the worst damages. Even the serum was struggling to keep up with the spread of the rot, an observation Zola made. Chalking it up to a slow reaction to their bodies warming up. Healing the soldiers at a steady rate that wouldn’t damage the cells but was too slow to counter the effects of the frost bite. The wounds on the two limbs advanced the rotting. 

Zola stood back over the men and watched as the stumps of their upper arms where covered in salve and closed, using both stitches and a heated blade, cauterising the wounds and slowing the bleeding down. It didn’t take too long for the red viscous blood to stop trickling out of the stumps. He watched over as both men where unstrapped from the table to allow for clean-up, a constant supply of sedatives having been hooked up to both men, two iv lines connected into their remaining flesh arms, each hooked up to kegs worth of sedatives, as bags wouldn’t last nearly long enough. The two patients where then dressed in clean grey boxer shorts, nothing else.

After a while all the surgeons and nurses slowly filtered from the room, leaving Zola to look over the two men lying on the metal slabs. Both where heavily bandaged and deeply unconscious. Their bodies were littered with hundreds of various cuts and lacerations and where half black from bruising. 

The captains head had fallen to his right with his prior struggles as he was knocked out, looking over the bloody stump that was his former right arm. It was also facing the other steel slab in the room where another body lay in a similar state. The doctor’s success that was Sargent Barnes, the man who after recent testing had Zola’s near perfect serum, a 93% match to captain Rogers and doctor Erskine’s serum. This did not mean however that they were stuck. Zola’s serum had some slightly different effects to that of Erskine’s. Doctor Erskine’s had allowed the captain to grow to his full height, fixed all physical disabilities, increased strength, increased healing, speed, stamina and hearing to the same frequency of bats. Zola’s had caused extra muscle mass, increased super soldier strength to where it actually had the potential to match or even out do the captains, slightly slower healing and speed than the captains and reportedly improved the sergeants eyesight for varying covers of darkness to where he could see near perfectly in pitch darkness as well as an extra inch of height since he last saw the sargent. 

The doctor smiled as he looked over both super soldiers, it would be unfair to have one at an advantage over the other. He snapped his finger and two nurses came running forward from their positions outside the door. They both had additional fluid lines and needles on hand. The two young women placed them down on the side of the beds and began to strap the soldiers back into the restraints. The doctor nodded at them to continue their jobs as they finished strapping in the soldiers. 

Gently each nurse walked around and placed a third needle into the crook of the soldier’s elbows on their remaining arms. Quickly attaching it to the fluid lines and taking the blood out, transferring it out into an awaiting pump at the other side of the fluid line. There sat two jars in a specially built pump. This was to collect the blood and then transfer it into the other soldier. It was delightful to find out that the captain and sergeant shared the same blood type. By transferring a decent amount, over half a litre by his workings, of each soldier’s blood into the other then the serum whilst there healing that is in the others blood should kick into action and multiply. He had tested it with a small quantity, no more than two vials full, one vial from each soldier taken to be tested before they had surgery to check for other problems that may occur, before he mixed the two together. Both serums bonded, with the strengths of both and the weaknesses of neither, so, he hoped to replicate the effects with the soldiers now. 

After both jugs where full with blood, the nurses swapped the used fluid lines out and began to change new ones in for the next step. The doctor watched with morbid curiosity as he switched on the pumps, transferring the captain and sergeants’ blood into one another. He watched as the results showed themselves immediately, something he hadn’t foreseen earlier.

Perhaps it was from Erskine’s formula, how the changes had happened so quickly. Both soldiers jerked around under there restraints as the serum in the others blood bonded with their own. The captain became slowly thicker as he developed more muscle mass over a ten-minute period. The sergeant however grew an additional two inches in height in that time period, now the same height as his friend. Both, even in their deep unconsciousness where screaming in pain at what was occurring to them both against their wills. 

The doctor smiled knowing that his theory had worked. That both super soldiers where now equal in power. Two equal men who will be hydra’s fists. The doctor nodded to the nurses and watched as they took off. He would leave the two sleeping soldiers in the position they were for now, security will be in after their soldiers check up in a few hours to move them. One soldier would remain in a cell, for the doctor to experiment on and test the new found enhancements of the bonded serums. The other would be placed back into cryostasis until Zola was ready for him. Then, phase one could begin of project winter soldier.


	4. Chapter 4: Project Bezumiye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nurses ran around the room as they moved towards the two tables. hooking the subjects up to numerous bags of sedatives. This was the third time in the span of four hours that the bags had needed to be replaced to keep the patients on the table rendered unconscious. 
> 
> By the twelfth hour, a new shift of nurses and doctors and guards entered the room to replace the staff who had been monitoring both patients in there immediate after surgery, having refilled IV lines more than nine times each per patient and changed bandages twice in that time. 
> 
> The doctors and guards moved around the table and waited orders from there leader who stood above both men, having remained silent for the few minutes he was in the room. After a while he finally spoke up.
> 
> "Move them into the recovery lab."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title taken from folie a deux by cloud_wolfbane.  
> Bezumiye meaning madness in Russian, or roughly similar, checked through multiple translation sites but i apologise if this is wrong. 
> 
> Warnings of blood, torture, amputations, slight time skip and non-consentual body modifications.

Two surgical tables where wheeled out of theatre and into a small ice cold holding cell after having been left in the theatre for hours as their serum infused blood was transfused into one another, the reaction seeming to have slowed down as subject ss-075 and ss-076 gained muscles and some more height. The catalyst that allowed ss-076 to change so fast during operation rebirth in America seemed to still be in his blood, allowing Zola’s own serum to kick into action when ss-076’s blood was transfused into his companion.

The men strapped onto each table where hooked up to an I.v system which held multiple bags of sedatives which had been attached to their beds and had trundled along into the room. Now the team that had been watching both men in the hours after surgery began to fill into the holding cell. Multiple doctors stood over the two men with clip boards as they went into recovery after the long surgery. Both men where to remain here for a few hours if not a day or too at least until the stumps of their arms showed progress healing. 

Doctor Zola stood beside both sleeping subjects and gently laughed at them both; even in their sleep they had their faces scrunched up in pain and fear. Like they knew he was there. It was a beautiful sight. 

“Doctor, both subjects are already showing signs of healing, there stumps look as though they were only made a week ago.” One of the doctors said as they unwrapped the brunettes arm, the blood having long since clotted and skin and flesh having begun to heal around the cut site. 

“Isn’t it marvellous, the healing ability of a man made god. They haven’t been out of surgery a few hours and they are already showing signs of advanced healing. I would suggest that within a day or two both men will be ready for the next stage of project Bezumiye.” The doctor said as he looked around the room with a smile. His colleagues looked just as excited as he did.  
“Excuse me doctor, not to question your genius, but will this next stage work?” one of the nurses asked, looking very uncomfortable.  
“Ah Nurse Schneider, of course it will. I had Sergeant Barnes or our beloved subject ss-075 for weeks at Azzano and had broken him all before the captain’s assault. The captain however is where we will concentrate, he is known for his strong will so we must push back with all our might to break him. When we have him broken and have shown him that there is no hope for his allies to rescue him we will unfreeze ss-075 and reunite them, after of course we spend some time reminding the sergeant who he belongs to.”  
“An excellent plan doctor Zola.” One doctor spoke up as others smiled and nodded.  
“Thank you doctor Müller, if only Nurse Schneider had your faith.” He sighed, his hand waved for two guards as he motioned to her. The nurse cried out as two guards grabbed her roughly.  
“Perhaps you need to be reminded about how classified this project is Miss Schneider, we can’t have you getting cold feet now. Perhaps you need to be reminded your place in hydra.” He said as the nurse was dragged off. “A woman should be seen but not heard.” He chuckled as the guards escorted her away. The rest of the doctors nodded and continued their observations of both men. 

“When both subjects have shown advanced stages of healing and the wound closed completely begin preparation of a cryotube for subject ss-075 and wheel subject ss-076 into his laboratory. Keep them both sedated until we are ready however. It is time we get started with project bezumiye.” Zola smiled as he glanced down at both men on the table. He would enjoy his time breaking them once more. 

.....

“B-Bucky”. Came a quiet rasp, emanating from a mostly empty cell. 

The soldier who spoke woke up slowly, to pain and cold filling his body and the burn of blinding lights, he called out quietly for a man who he wished to see. He tried to sit up immediately and take a look around. He was alone on a cold steel table. The soldier whined in pain as he tried to sit up, pulling at cold and heavy restraints that where wrapped around his wrists, arms, legs, torso, and legs. he felt leather and steel rub against his skin in many places. A drip in his left arm slowly dropping strong drugs into his system which was making him woozy and sluggish. like he wasn’t in his right mind. He felt a burning sensation coming from his right side. He tried to strain against whatever was burning it but his right arm seemed to be non-functional, he couldn’t feel anything from it. 

“Ah, ah, ah, captain rogers, I would recommend not exhorting yourself so soon.” the voice of doctor Zola echoed through the room, followed by the ruffle of a newspaper.  
“W-where am… I?” the captain wheezed out under the crushing pain in his chest. Everything hurt immensely; like he had so many injuries the serum was healing the most serious ones first, leaving the more painful bruises and fractures alone. He looked up to see the blurry outline of someone he definitely recalled arresting. Doctor Arnim Zola, Bucky’s torturer. 

“Russia, Chatanga, inside the arctic circle dear captain, not that that matters. It would seem like you survived your plunge into the arctic waters. I have a few questions for you captain.” The doctor informed him as he placed his newspaper over the Captains chest. the paper rubbing against many cuts that littered his chest.  
“Do you know what year it is captain?” the hydra scientist asked as he leaned over him, pushing his glasses up.  
“… 19- 1945?” the wounded soldier asked slowly. Zola pressed a button which raised a mirror over the captain at an angle, steep enough to see, not enough to block out the blinding lights above him. 

Steve blinked, his body was black and blue from bruises, he had hundreds of nasty red scars crossing his chest and torso. His chest in question was wrapped in thick amounts of bandages and medical tape. He looked over to his right side where the bandages seemed to be at their thickest…. There was nothing below his shoulder…His arm was gone. There in place of a functioning right arm was a stubby bundle of bandages. The captain paled upon noticing it, even more so than the doctor thought possible with his natural pale Irish skin pallor, made oh so paler from surgery, he now looked a sickly grey colour. 

“Ah well, im afraid my dear captain, it is not 1945, todays date is the 8th of march 1948. However we have held your body here for the past few years whilst I reorganised hydra and played innocent scientist to your general. It got me a decent sentence, ten years’ probation which was wavered last year with operation paperclip. Not that you need to know about that, what you should know is that, for your arm it became damaged in your crash. So, we simply took it off. Your body was healing too slowly to stop the spread of the gangrene and frost bite. Perhaps we were too hasty. We could have left it a few more days and see what would have happened, but we decided unanimously to remove it.” The doctor smiled as he moved to stand above his latest victim as he finished explaining.

“Wh… what?” Steve asked, in shock at it all after a few minutes of silence.  
“Ah yes, after your crash, it appears you had frozen solid under the north Atlantic ocean, in a region known for its permanent ice throughout the year. After three months my allies found you submerged in the ice inside the crushed hull of the Valkyrie captain. Which leads me to another question.” the doctor said as he stood above the captain, his newspaper now folded under his arm. “What happened to Herr Schmidt captain?” 

“H-his all mighty cube killed him.” the captain wheezed as he pulled a grisly sneer to the scientist. “Y-your glorious l-leader grabbed it, bare hands, v-vaporised himself.” he chuckled before giving out a horrible wheezing cough.  
“I see… and where is the cube now?” Zola asked.  
“Dunno, b-bottom of the o-ocean if… if’m lucky.” Steve wheezed out.  
“Well that is quite unfortunate captain. I did enjoy creating weapons from the tesseract. However I have been presented with a marvellous opportunity to continue my work from azzano.” Zola chuckled as the captain stilled and looked at him, his faced schooled blank into the showman’s face that he adopted when he was just the governments dancing monkey. “You seem to have forgotten that I specialise in creating weapons captain, mechanical and of course biologically like Erskine after my success at Azzano with your sergeant. It’s a shame you destroyed over 90% of my notes.” Zola chucked.  
“W-what do, do you mean b-biological, and what did you do to Bucky.” Steve grunted out.  
“The Geneva conventions definition of biological weapon captain is a harmful biological agent used as a weapon to cause death or disease usually on a large scale. Or in your case, a human physically enhanced to peak perfection to be used as a weapon to cause death and destruction on a large scale.” The doctor chuckled as he grabbed the blonde man’s chin and looked straight into his eyes. He placed the newspaper onto the captain’s chest as it began to fall from the crook of his elbow.

“Ah captain, did you not ever wonder what I did to your good friend sergeant Barnes when I had him upon my table after you rescued him.” Zola chuckled, seeing the discomfort in his enemies’ eyes as he tried to squirm. “I may not have had your blood to work with captain but I had Schmidt’s. Each person that entered my lab got a variant of my own serum, all of them died, in complete agony, all except Sargent Barnes, subject number ss-075. I am surprised you did not notice that before captain. When escaping Azzano, a man who had been tortured and bedlam for three weeks had the strength to walk out of the lab. Run at similar speeds to you and able to jump a similar if albeit slightly shorter distance. I was making him into the perfect soldier.” Zola chuckled as he caressed Steve’s cheek.

“But now dear captain, I have you to work with. My newest subject ss-076 in my research into the super soldier serum. I can see just what makes you special, why I could never fully remake Erskine’s serum, and when I am done we will break you down and remould you into our perfect soldier, replace your lost arm, and you will become hydra’s new fist. Helping take us into the future, one we will shape and remake so that when we step out of the shadows and into the light once more, hydra will be invincible.” Zola chuckled as he grabbed the news paper he had left on the captain’s chest. Flipping it around so it showed him the title in the reflection from the mirror suspended above the table which he was strapped to. Steve stuttered as he read it. 

Search for Captain America and Howling commando Barnes concludes. Dated march 1946. It had an image of the commandos and Peggy standing beside Howard who was on a ship, all looked sorrowful. Howard scoured the artic whilst the commandos went into the Alps, no longer enemy territory, both trying to bring home there lost friends.  
“Ah yes captain, which was taken about two years ago. It took us a while to find you, three months to be exact after your crash, you are lucky it was not decades. Schmidt may be gone captain, but hydra lives on in the shadows. Your general believes I was just a bright mind that was caught by the wrong people, your government believed so too, and now we live on in your government and of course, soon you will too.” The doctor’s voice echoed through the room once more. He had moved off to a small table in the corner of the room and seemed to pick a vial up from it.

“No, never, they’ll.” The captain spluttered in a mixture of horror and anger.  
“Who? Who will find you captain? Who will stop us? You are thousands of miles behind enemy lines, presumed dead. Your commandos and agent won’t be coming for you any time soon and they believe I am mostly harmless. Cut off one head, two more shall take its place captain. I am the leader now, and you shall become our fist in time. I pray you don’t make it easy for my allies and myself over the next few weeks. Where would the fun in that be.” he laughed over the comm at the shaken soldier. “I will leave you for now captain, I need to get my tools ready after all to begin working on you.” he asked with a laugh, “Auf Wiedersehen dear captain.” He chuckled, injecting a vial of glowing pink liquid into the captain’s neck. Leaving Steve feeling fire running through his veins in utter agony before he blissfully began to lose consciousness, his only thoughts was that at least Bucky was saved from this hell.  
The next few months proved to be utter agony under Zola’s watch.

Early 1950

“I have enough information now from subject ss-076, unfreeze ss-075 that I know what I am to look for, and have him replaced in a holding cell whilst he awakes and prepare chamber 002 for him.” Doctor Zola chuckled as he walked away from the whimpering, pained mess of a man on the table before him.  
“Continue with the electroconvultion therapy at low voltage before tidying up for the evening.” He added as he slowly walked out of the laboratory. Screams echoing the whole way down the corridor as he walked away. A wide smile on his face.

12 hours later. 

“Ste-Steve?” came a quiet whine from another prisoner. The prisoner who spoke came too very slowly, awakening to cold pain filling his body and the burn of blinding lights, he called out quietly for a man who he wished to see. It took him a minute to remember what happened to him. A train, cold winds and pain was all he remembered. He was alone on a cold metal slab. He tried to push himself up on the table only to be held down by heavy metal and leather restraints. The soldier whined in pain as every injury flared up as he tried to break free against the straps and cuffs holding him down. He took note of the blackness of his skin as he craned his head up and began to look over his mostly naked body. His eyes went wide as he looked at his predicament in horror. 

He looked and let out a sharp wale at the stump of wet bandages covering what remained of his left arm. He already knew what had happened, he felt it snap in three places and get crushed as he drowned in that river. It was gone, his favoured arm gone. He began to panic as he looked between the stump, his cell and his injuries. 

“Wha, what? Steve? Stevie?” the sergeant began to call out as he looked around the room. The room he was in was a concrete cell with rows of cabinets on the walls filled with medical equipment. He began to whimper at what that might mean for him, once again strapped to another metal table. Barely able to budge against the many leather and metal restraints holding him down in place. He jolted his head when he heard a door open and bolt shut behind who ever had entered. The new comer to his room of misery slowly walked up to his bedside and stood underneath the blinding lights.

“Ah Sargent Barnes, awake at last I see.” Came the voice of the doctor whom the sargent feared the most. The sergeant stiffened and paled when he heard that horrible voice as his eyes focused in on the man he feared the most. 

“Z-Zola.” Came the reply, the sergeant’s voice breaking out of pure unadulterated fear.  
“Welcome back sergeant. I look forward to continuing from where we left off.” The doctor chuckled throughout the room.  
“No, no… I-im not back.” He started, “He’ll, he’ll come for me again. St- Steve will rescue me again.” He stuttered out.  
“Ah I’m afraid not my dear sargent.” Zola’s chuckled as he moved away towards a small projection unit and flicked a switch, as the reel started up the doctor returned to his subject’s bedside and forced his head to the side to watch a short projection wheel of news events that had occurred. 

“war won; axis surrendered.” An image of times square with a nurse and sailor kissing, “heroic last deed of captain America.” His face on the cover “captain America takes out bomber heading for America: his last sacrifice.”, “rogers disappears: Captain America’s last battle.” Another image of his face. “Howling commandos remember their lost Captain and Sargent.” Image of him and Bucky on the cover followed by an image of a memorial for them both in Brooklyn. “Captain America and the fallen commando remembered.” An image of a monument constructed in Arlington, with Steve’s and his name on it. The last title was too much for him however, “Search for Captain America and Howling commando Barnes concludes.” Dated march 1946. It had an image of the commandos and Peggy standing beside Howard who was on a ship, all looked sorrowful. The sergeant let out a whale of a sob as he looked at the dates, from 1945 into 1946. Steve couldn’t be gone he just couldn’t. He rescued him before, Steve would do it again in a heartbeat.  
“No, no. S-teve, Steve can’t, he-he can’t be. To the, the end of the line, to the end of the l-line Steve. No.” he sobbed out, his chest heaving in pain at what he was reading. The doctor only wandered back over to the projector and switched it off before standing back by the young brunette’s bed side.

“Ah yes, your dear captain is as dead to the world as you are. That last reel was released four years ago. Both of you have been dead for five years sargent Barnes. They have given up looking for you both. There is no escape this time for you my dear sargent, we will finish what was started at azzano and you will become hydra’s new fist. You will not escape so easily this time sargent Barnes.” The doctor chuckled through the room. “I must leave you for now sergeant, you woke up earlier than I expected, having been frozen like a chicken in an ice-box. I was just finishing up my working with another subject of mine, ss-076. I hope you enjoy your time with my allies, they have a treat in store for you, next time you see me I shall be prepping you for surgery to replace that arm. We cannot have our fist missing a limb, now can we?” he asked with a laugh, “Auf Wiedersehen dear subject ss-075.” He chuckled as he marched out of the room, the door slamming and bolting shut after he left. Leaving the broken soldier alone in his cell. He had put up a brave front with Steve, who helped him heal. But now, knowing he was back where he started in the war, without Steve to help keep him sane, he’ll only unravel and break once again, like he was doing right now.

The soldier gave one last look around the room before letting out a heavy wet sob. His Steve couldn’t be gone, couldn’t have left him in a place like this. Back with Zola and in as bad a state as he had been previously. His legs felt like they were pure ice, numb to anything. It pained him to even move, every breath in his chest rattled, every breath was a rasp. It reminded him of Steve’s asthma. The cell remained silent as the lights burned at full brightness. James Buchanan Barnes just let the tears and sobs run from his mouth and down his face as he began to chant what they taught them in basic’s for when captured by the enemy, through his sobs. He would not become hydra’s fist; he would escape again. Or he would die trying and join Steve in heaven once more. He began his mantra as he stared off into the rest of the room, the silence deafening.  
“Barnes, James Buchanan. Sergeant. 32557038”

Doctor Zola chuckled as he watched the two isolated soldiers in their cells, subject ss-076 screaming on his table as his underlings continued torturing him through exposure to electricity, and subject ss-075 awoken and ready to begin breaking down in his cell, crying his heart out in utter agony at the thought of being left behind enemy lines with Zola once again, with his best friend dead and with no one coming to save him. He finished sipping his cup of tea as he looked between the two screens set up. There he watched from the relative safety of the control room. It was located above the two cells. 

All that was heard from the room was the opening of a door. 

“Ah Doctor Fenhoff, I was wondering when you would join me.” The swiss asked.  
“I was finalising the improvement of our soldiers tactical uniforms and reset protocols dear Zola. We have multiple matching uniforms made from Kevlar and leather as you proposed, ready and awaiting our soldiers for when there training begins. The control and sleeper protocols and triggers are waiting to be programmed into our soldiers whenever we are ready for our two soldiers.” A Russian man in a tan blazer spoke as he approached the table where the doctor was seated at. “The shield has been stripped and coated black and the star repainted red, awaiting its owner for when he is ready to pick it up once more in there allocated storage lockers.” He chuckled as he sat down beside Zola. 

“Ah yes, the shield. Doctor, if you ever get your hands on more Vibranium, create a small short sword or a pair of large daggers for the sergeant. I do not think it would be fair to allow only one of our soldiers to hold a near indestructible weapon.” Zola chuckled  
“I shall inform my soldiers to be on the lookout then Herr Doctor. Hydra’s fists, the red guards sword and shield. It shall be a glorious era for both of us.” The Russian smiled.  
“When do you commence project Bezumiye of phase one.” The Swiss asked. The Russian leaned over and flicked a red switch in the middle of the tables control console.  
“Right now.” He chuckled. 

Both watched as a canister entered each cell through the ceiling and began to emit a pungent, yellow gas. They watched as both the captain cowered under his restraints as the lab technicians pulled on gas masks, watching as the captain fell into unconsciousness, delirious after the electro-convulsive torture he easily fell unconscious. The sergeant on the other monitor, screamed and pulled at his restraints when he saw the gas being released as he fell into unconsciousness within moments. Both men where knocked out peacefully in their cells whilst Zola’s underlings began to bandage and stitch up the captain for the night, ready to begin again during the cycle of light the next day. 

“For the next two weeks the sergeant will know nothing but the experiments that have made the captain comply with us so far. From there we will re-integrate them both to one another, keeping them just far apart enough on their tables that they won’t be able to conduct physical contact for their surgery before we place them in the pit.” The Russian laughed.

“When they both receive the knowledge that their partner is alive, as well as in the same position will lead to there compliance to protect the other, the captain will protect his sergeant from any punishment. However, I believe that our sergeant will likely try to rebel to protect his captain. If he reacts negatively when re-introduced to the captain you have permission to use the Burlesque punishment upon him however seeing as we haven’t used that one yet with the sergeant. If it does in fact come to us using that punishment we should see a dramatic change in his compliance like how the good captain changed. They will do what they can to protect each other both before and after that scenario however.” The Russian laughed as he continued. 

“The gas we will be administering will continue to warp their minds and take effect, leaving both docile and perceptible to cohesion. The final nail in the coffin will be when they realise they will not be saved by those they called friends and allies and all they have is one another and hydra. They will break and give themselves up fully when they realise it is the only way for them to survive and that hydra and our red guard will not let either man kill himself or the other. Then we shall take them both to the chair and begin project bezumiye phase one. completely blocking and erasing there old memories and adding there trigger words and sleepers for there handlers.” The Russian said with a smile as he laid out pages of plans and schematics for the soldiers below them.

“Phase two is obviously their training, they shall receive close quarters combat, gymnastics, range training, sniper training, how to use each other’s weapon with ease, infiltration training along with the multitude of languages and etiquette and covers training, including ballet training that will be trained into them for missions with other red guard operatives. At this time, we shall also program them with trigger words to activate them and shut them down when the need arises. Not to mention chemical imprints for their handlers and protocol’s for asset behaviour with handlers. Phase three is of course, the winter freeze project, to keep our soldiers young and as youthful as ever for us to use for decades to come. The cryo freeze chambers and of course the wipe chairs. They are ready and have been moved to the base deep in the Siberian tundra, Doctor Zola. I hope your return in a few months’ time is extended into phase three. After all it is your project, the winter soldiers. The winter captain and winter sergeant, our twin assets. It would be a shame if you didn’t see the culmination of your hard work doctor.” The man finished.

“Ah doctor Fennhoff, even if I don’t see the end of the project when I finish up with the captain in a fortnights time, I still have the knowledge that I am the mastermind behind the fall of two of America’s greatest war hero’s. Even if I miss phase three, I shall meet my creations eventually one day. That is a given.” He smiled as he gathered up the briefcase by his side, he stood up and shook the Russians hands.  
“I leave them in your capable hands doctor Fennhoff, I trust you and your methods. Hydra thanks you and the red room for your generosity doctor.” The Swiss leader nodded as he shook his allies’ hand.  
“Ah doctor, it is nothing, if it means we have an advantage over our joint enemy then it is worth it.” The Russian smiled. “We welcome you back to Russia whenever you want dear doctor Zola. However, I hope your adventure in the states goes well.” He added with a dark smile, one which Zola returned.  
“The American’s are so simplistic if they believe hydra has died with Schmidt, we shall grow in their shadows and stupidity. It has been a pleasure doctor Fenhoff.” The Swiss said as he left the room, he was taking the next train to Moscow before he would move on towards the Serbian border and on into Austria and Switzerland. There he would report to the American who was placed as his probation officer before being shipped out to the states to return to his post at shield under operation paperclip. 

The Russian, doctor Fennhoff, or as he was known to the American intelligence, as doctor Faustas, smiled as he watched his ally leave. He smiled as he looked downwards at the two monitors on the control table. There he watched the slumbering forms of the two American soldiers as the gas began to take effect and a hold of their minds. Neither had any idea just what they were in for. The doctor smiled and muttered under his breath. 

“Hail hydra.”


	5. chapter 5: operation bleeding star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1950 
> 
> In the control room above the cells doctor Fenhoff turned around to a couple of his underlings that where monitoring the soldiers. Zola had a last-minute change of plans and got word back from the states that he was to return within a fortnight’s time to begin work on a nuclear deterrent project with the c.i.a and shield. It was ashamed, Doctor Zola had enjoyed spending his time breaking down captain Rogers, it took around eight months to break the man completely and another sixteen to ensure that he was truly broken and remained that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of torture, survivors guilt, P.T.S.D, depression, unethical human experimentation, blood, sexual assault and rape.  
> You have been warned. 
> 
> Steve's service numbers and Bucky's service numbers are mentioned.

Sergeant Barnes ended up being frozen for two years whilst Zola broke down the captain. He had had the most fun watching the captain scream and writhe as they watched Zola experiment on the blonde, observing and experimenting on the captain like how he once did the sergeant in Azzano years ago. By 1950, the Swiss doctor had gotten a great way with the American super soldier. The captain had become more docile and quieter as he accepted the pain unleashed onto him, it was rare an experiment left him screaming now, as long as he complied the experiments where rather light. However, with the right chemical solutions and psychotics, Zola could put the captain under intense pain that left him screaming every time he rebelled or put up a fight. Usually after he tried to rebel, the time period between each incident became longer and overall less frequent than the last, the fear of pain from Zola’s horrendous experimentations scaring him into compliance. The captain was slowly complying to protect himself from the pain. Something that broke the captain on the inside by the eight month mark of his captivity, as he gave up fighting against the restraints and rebelling.

The restraints and labs themselves where more like a custom built containment cell, designed to hold, and withstand the strength of an enhanced super-soldier. Another stark reminder that he was nothing more than a prisoner… an experiment. 

Having been freshly defrosted a fortnight ago, all of Zola’s attention had returned to the sergeant. The doctor enjoyed pumping him full of chemicals that left the sergeant screaming for either mercy or Steve to rescue him, using chemicals and techniques that left captain Rogers screaming for days on the sergeant. The doctor after the first few days, ripped into him and left his torso open, occasionally pushing the sergeant’s guts about and tested to see just how much pain his body could take before resuscitation became necessary. Having learned how to resuscitate a super soldier from the few times they caused the captain to enter cardiac arrest. Two years with the captain told Zola all he needed to know about breaking a super soldier. Within days of being returned to captivity Barnes broke from the torture, the pain a hundred times more crippling than Azzano ever felt. He wanted nothing more than to die. 

The brunette became despondent and apathetic on the slab of metal he was bound to, the isolation, pain and silence disturbing him and leading to some instances of hallucination. The cells sound proofed, not allowing the other to hear the screams as the teams of scientist ripped into each men, breaking them apart and piecing them together again, slowly and painfully. It was rare for either to be free of the restraints, once every seven cycles of light. Not that either could get very far in the time given, the sergeants injuries slowed his walking and the captain was just too weak to do anything more than crawl a few yards. Neither man was released from there restraints at the same time. They were not supposed to see each other yet.

Over the two years spent in the Red Guard base Zola and his lackeys showed the captain why he would comply, beating him until his healing bones would break again, until he was screaming in pain as they shocked him with hundreds of volts of electricity through his body. Make him burn all over by injecting various chemicals doctor Zola reported would get a super soldier screaming as well as moving him onto an examination table, strapped down heavily and course thousands of volts of electricity through the captain and slice him open seeing just what damage his serum enhanced body could take, pushing around his guts as they ripped his torso open.

Some day’s there would be a rubber gag in the captains mouth barely suppressing the man’s screams, other days he was allowed to scream himself hoarse.  
Whipping him, burning him, battering him, drugging him, pushing hooks and scalpels through his flesh and into bone holding his flesh open for hours if not days on end as the serum tried to heal his body, messing about with his cauterized stump with cybernetic nerve connections, all to see the super soldiers limits However, the worse punishment happened when they flipped him onto his stomach after barely patching him up, re-wrapping the bandages he awoke in back around his injuries. 

The worst punishment came from a side effect caused by the mixing of the serums, one that disgusted and horrified Rogers whilst allowing Zola to experiment with another punishment, humiliation through sexual assault and rape. The first time this occurred was within four weeks of Zola beginning his experimenting and torture upon the captain.

When he woke up after a drugging, he was pinned to his table differently, his legs being spread open as wide as possible, with more soldiers in his cell than usual but only one or two doctors who were observing him instead of a team. The soldiers in his cell ripped off his thin boxers and violated him. Each repeatedly raping him until blood dripped out of his ass and down his thighs. 

This happened too often for the captain to recall, blocking out the assault every time it happened, knowing it was disgusting that he got off from it, usually every fifth cycle, after a tube was forced down his throat and he was fed a thick grey sludge. They didn’t give him the boxers back until this morning, when he awoke with them wrapped around his bare ass. 

After two years of torture, Steve was in a desperate state, covered in hundreds of thousands of scars and burns gained during the months he has spent in captivity which were not fading, permanently mutilating his pale silken skin, a various mix of bruises ranging from black to green. For once he wasn’t covered in his own blood and faeces, having been hosed off earlier with cold water and two attendants vigorously scrubbed him down. He was in a semi-conscious hallucinatory state as his body tried to burn out the chemicals that he had been injected with, barely lucid only for the repetitive chant of his name, rank and serial number as his hair, now down to his chin flopped in front of his face, something he had been doing for months now as it grew having been cut once months ago.

The captain whined out quietly as the scientists and guards wrestled with him, having been allowed up from the restraints and moved into a plain cell for two hours of respite. His weekly freedom from the surgical table and its restraints. Today was different for some reason, he had been taken to a tiled room and propped against a wall before being assaulted with a powerful jet of cold water. He cried out as a pair of hands grabbed him and began to scrub him down with soap, washing away weeks, if not months of dirt and grime. It wasn’t too long before he felt them pull him up again and onto a padded table and dried him off, placing a thin grey pair of boxers over his ass and groin before man handling him onto a different table with his usual restraints. He gasped as they pinned him down onto the table and began to restrain him again. Today there was a thin grey foam mat underneath him. Giving his aching back comfort from the cold hard metal and replacing it with a feeling of soft comfort that he had forgotten even existed. 

Years at war and on a cold surgical slab left no comfort at all for him, so the mat was a pleasant change. For a moment he didn’t care why the scientists gave him this comfort, perhaps for future blackmail into making him comply later, he gave up and relaxed onto the foam with a pleasant sigh. Standing above him, one of the scientists aids wrapped under a thin grey blanket to keep his body temperature regulated whilst he lay on the table. A comforting change from the cold. He relaxed as he felt a needle pierce his neck, the chemicals slowly making him woozy and docile enough that he relaxed into a semi-conscious state. Just enough awareness that he knew he was being moved as the scientists began to wheel his table and himself out of the lab and into a much larger, brighter more sterile room. It was colder and resembled a surgical ward. He was quietly repeating his mantra of his name, rank and serial number the whole way out of the room.

The sergeant was silent in his cell, trapped in his own mind as thousands of scenarios burned through his head as to what would happen to him now. He just stared blankly at the ceiling, wrapped in his own blanket as he was laying down on his usual thin mat. This time restrained with heavy metal and thick leather to a surgical table. Trapped once again in a hydra base, only this time he was hundreds of miles behind enemy lines. His fate at the hands of Zola and his allies, but this time no one would be coming to his rescue. The government and commandos would likely have given up, Howard would be looking in the totally wrong area if he ever put some of his money to use and tried to find him, knowing he was more or less likely to be searching for Steve in the artic and Steve… Steve was dead. He wouldn’t be rescuing Bucky this time.

The first time he awoke in his cell it was bare apart from the table they had strapped him down to and the rows of cabinets off against one wall, before being gassed hours later after Zola broke it to the sergeant that he would not escape this time, knocking him out. He hadn’t been awake long in his cell to realise he had been strapped down with restraints. Zola standing above him once again as he picked up where he left off at Azzano, only this time the experiments where far worse. He though Azzano was unthinkable, this was hell on earth. His screams where non-stop through the experiments. Although today he was very thankful, the scientists had backed off today after having given him a cold shower comprised of a cold water hose down with some basic soap earlier in the day. Leaving him restrained on his surgical table, they were nice enough to wrap him in a blanket for warmth. He was thankful Steve was dead, not in the same hell as he was. He looked up as a doctor walked over with a syringe, injecting it into his neck. It didn’t take too long for him to become drowsy and compliant, falling into a semi-conscious state. He didn’t even realise he had begun to mumble out his name, rank and He barely even realised his table was being wheeled out of the lab and down the corridor before he being wheeled into a brighter, larger, colder lab that resembled a surgical ward compared to where he had been. 

Unbeknownst to either soldier, Zola stood on a small platform above both tables as both prisoners where rolled into the room, he smiled wirily and looked over the pair. The quiet mantra’s of “Rogers, Steven Grant. Captain. 4-6-8-3-6-8.” and “Barnes, James Buchanan. Sergeant. 3-2-5-5-7-0-3-8” below him made him very happy. Hydra would use these two men to shape the future of the world. They would become something so terrifying that would one day make countries intelligence systems quake with fear at their mere mention. Never knowing if they were real or horror story seniors tell newbies. But for now, both men were unaware of anything going on around them as they lay on their surgical tables, both murmuring there service numbers as two more scientists stood over both men awaiting orders from Zola. There tables having been moved into the lab. With a nod from the doctor the two assistant’s inserted needles into both men’s necks, bringing them back into a conscious state. Within minutes, both men where conscious enough to awaken fully and look around there new surroundings. 

The doctor watched as both men laid their eyes on one another. Watching silently above them as they stared at each other for a moment in shock. The Captain on the sergeant’s right, the sergeant on the captains left.  
“B-Bucky?” came the raspy whisper of the blonde. He heard a voice, one that the sergeant recognised immediately, after having heard that voice for more than half his life. This was no hallucination.  
“St-Steve?” he asked as he teared up, seeing the face of his supposedly dead captain and best friend.  
“H-how, I- I watched, Your, your… dead… I- I dropped you- your dead, I killed you” Steve began with tears as he looked at Bucky blinking rapidly as tears began to stream down his face. “I killed you, I killed you. I dropped you.” Steve repeated flinching away from the man in front of him, being held down only by the numerous restraints on them both.  
“Steve, Stevie, no. it’s me, Bucky, your Bucky. James Buchanan Barnes, best friends since we were five and six.” the sergeant cried out as tears of his own flowed heavily down his cheeks. He strained against his restraints, desperately trying to get to his friend. “What have they done to you?” Bucky asked quietly. 

“That dear sergeant was the exact question I was waiting for.” The doctor chuckled, knowing who the sergeant was asking about. Both men let out two whimpers of fear when they heard the doctor. “I have simply spent the last two years conducting research on Erskine’s super soldier serum and its effects and the weaknesses it presents in a super soldier. It has been quite enlightening.” He chuckled. Steve only whimpered, both out of pain and fear.  
“You bastard.” Bucky cried out in horror as he looked at Steve and the few visible scars he could see, not to mention the unbelievably long slightly curly if not very wavy hair he had. It had grown down nearly to his chin, the only way it would have become that long shaggy and unkempt meant time. Something that the sergeant realised quite quickly, that his friend had been at the receiving end of Zola’s torture for weeks if not months.  
“Ah ss-075, it allowed me to make so many advancements. I have everything I need to make you both compliant hydra soldiers. After all, I told you a fortnight ago.” The doctor held up a tape disk and started to play audio from it. “Your dear captain is as dead to the world as you are.” The tape screeched as it played another file “just finishing up my working with another Subject of mine.”  
“I would have thought you would have understood what I meant, but perhaps I was mistaken. You were still healing from your time in cryo freeze when I told you, perhaps your brain was still frozen.” He chuckled. Both men looked confused. 

“W...what’s cryofreeze?” Steve asked quietly.  
“It is a natural way of preserving you both for long periods of time. When we found you both, you were frozen in blocks of ice, from both the river and the ocean. I had two tanks built that could replicate your freezing, leaving you both in a suspended state, neither alive nor dead, tested on yourself Barnes, both of you have been in this facility since 45, where you both remained frozen in your ice blocks until I was in a better position to oversee your conditions. You were both de thawed and had your arms amputated in 48. Both will be used often in your future, only after you care programmed course, but I stored you away in one for the past two year’s ss-075. It allowed me to assess just how powerful both of you will be.” The doctor smiled as he walked down to stand between the two tables. Both men looked at each other in horror as they eyed each other’s visible arm. 

“Do not worry, subject ss-075; I won’t be repeating my serum experiments that I conducted on you at Azzano. You and I both know it already worked successfully. Albeit, it did not improve you in the way Erskine’s ss-076, however I have already taken care of that little problem. Both of you are equal men now.” The doctor smiled.  
“WH-what?” Bucky asked his eyes wide with fear. 

“What the fuck did you do to us?” Steve cried out in disgust before whimpering as he saw Zola glare at him, his anger melted into fear faster than Bucky had ever seen it before.  
“Oh my dear subject ss-076, at Azzano I worked on my own serum, the only successful version runs through your good friend’s veins as you know. He had been bedlam for a week, only to be able to run and keep up with you when you both escaped. It sparked my curiosity. However when I first got my hands on both of you, I was… curious as to the serums and there work. Both serums where fully bonded into your blood. I merely took a few samples to run some tests on whilst you were both defrosting from the ice when you both arrived here. I happened upon a discovery, one that changed both of you once again.” He chuckled as he ran his fingers over the captain’s face, receiving a snarl from the sergeant at touching his captain. “Do you want to know what it was? Hum, Captain? Sergeant?” he chuckled. “Of course you do. The two super soldier serums where compatible. Erskine’s serum that runs through your veins ss-076 and my own that runs through ss-075.” He informed them, watching as their faces went white as a sheet, there eyes glancing over at one another. 

“I took a few litres of blood from both of you and transfused it into the other. Captain Rogers blood into your own sergeant and vice versa. Within hours the serums had bonded completely. However both of you were in too deep a slumber to realise what was happening to you both. It was glorious to watch. To see Erskine’s success and my own merge flawlessly, effortlessly. It’s a shame that I have all the research I need from either of you now. Phase one of project winter soldier is over and now, subjects ss-075, ss-076 you shall both take part in phase two. Enjoy what little independence you both have left. Soon all that will remain of you both will be hydra’s loyal unquestioning assets. I shall leave you two to have your little reunion for now, but know that when I come back, neither of you will like what will happen next.” Zola said as he stepped away from both soldiers, signalling to the other few scientists in the room to leave. They did however push the two tables together just enough for the two men to reach one another. Both where quiet until they heard the door close behind the scientists.

“I-is it, is it really you… not a, not another hallucination.” He whispered out hoarsely as his chest began to heave in sobs. Steve had been having hallucinations for months now of his dead best friend whilst Bucky had only had two or three at this point in his captivity.  
“B-better not be punk.” Bucky chuckled though he grasps Steve’s frail hand. Feeling the bones through the skin, reminding him of Brooklyn and when the punk could have been knocked over by a simple stiff breeze. Any weight lost was dangerous for the guy’s enhanced metabolism. “Your mom’s name was Sarah, your da’s was Joseph. He was dead before you were born, old injuries from the Great War… you used to put newspapers in your shoes, cause they were too big an ya could hardly afford replacements. You love lasagne when your ma had the money to make it. My sisters are Georgina, Rebecca and Katrina; I have a younger brother William, twin with Georgina. My mom’s name is Winifred; my da’s name is George. We grew up together in Brooklyn, shared a flat in the heights since we were sixteen and your ma passed from tb. That enough to tell ya I ain’t a hallucination this time.” he spoke softly as Steve over at him, hope beginning to fill in his lifeless eyes. Bucky hoped it was enough to convince Steve that it was him.  
They were both just inches away from each other but neither could get closer than where they were, strapped down tightly to the tables they were on. Bucky was surprised when he felt Steve shakily lifted his left hand out from his right and began to snake it up past his wrist, grabbing it tightly. 

“Steve?” Bucky asked.  
“Wanna feel your pulse… just to be sure…” he said quietly and grasped tighter as he tried to feel for his friends pulse. He let out a sob of relief when his hand began to feel the steady thump, thump coming from his pulse just under his skin. Bucky moved under his grasp to regain a hold of Steve’s right. He just squeezed his grip and gave out a small smile, he just about heard Steve’s silent whisper of “your real.” And just tightened his grip. The pair said nothing but looked at each other before squeezing their hands tighter. The contact a comfort from the horrors they had endured, giving them a little bit of hope.

Bucky sighed in relief as he felt Steve squeeze back and leaned his head back on the table and began to stare at the ceiling. He wished he hadn’t.  
He let out a strangled gasp as he looked up… Zola had placed a mirror above them. Steve followed his friends gaze into the ceiling and let of a gasp of his own as he looked at his friend through the mirror. Showing each other the numerous scars they were cursed with… including their biggest scar.  
“Buck… you’re...” Steve began as he looked at the bandaged stump of his best friends left arm through the mirror before flicking his head to face Bucky. Steve had lost his just a few below the shoulder whilst Bucky had lost his a few inches below the shoulder, giving him a more prudent stump.  
“God Stevie… your arm…” Bucky sobbed as he took notice of the now familiar yet worse injury his best friend suffered. The same he had suffered, just a different arm, a different length, hidden by their body position. 

“H-how did…” Steve asked, already hoping it wasn’t stolen like his was. Tears already falling over his shallow cheeks in horror.  
“The fall, the fall I guess…” Bucky quietly muttered. “Don’t remember much. Remember asking bout the cyclone though, and getting onto the train, we fought Nazi’s and then I felt the cold. Might’a cracked my head ‘gainst some rocks.” He added just as quietly. “Wha, bout you, dumb punk. Your impulse control fell outta tha train with me too?” he chuckled at the end, but his face was shallow with shocked horror at the injury.

“I-injured it in the crash… Schmidt had a bomber loaded, heading for the states, we fought, h-he shot in the cockpit. One hit the controls… destroying it. He died, not sure if it was me or that secret weapon of his. Only thing I could do with the plane was go up or down. N-no controls for a safe landing... I-I put her down, crashed her… I-in the Art-artic.” He added, “Zola said it was healing just a little slower than the frost bite and gangrene was spreading… said they could a waited a bit to see… he took it anyways.” Steve cried out quietly. Bucky let out a rasped gasp and squeezed his friends hand tighter. Not letting go. They were quiet for a moment before Steve spoke up, fear in his eyes. “Did, did they touch you? Buck did they touch you anywhere? Did they hurt you?” Steve asked quickly but quietly. 

“No, no… I mean, not as much as they did ta you pal. They had you longer.” The brunette replied, a little confused at Steve and his sudden fear. It took him a moment before he realised what Steve meant as he looked into his friend’s eyes and saw the trauma behind them. Through the mirror he saw that Steve had scars, hundreds of them, that where too straight to have been inflicted in a crash and what appeared to be puncture wounds and scars that matched where Zola experimented upon Bucky, but the was far more horrendous than anything Hydra did to him before. 

“G-God Stevie… no…” he sobbed out as he looked at the blonde, gently moving his right arm out of Steve’s hand and trying to feel under the blanket but stopping when his friend seized up and breathing increased. “No, they, they didn’t touch me….” He said. “Please, god, please Stevie, tell me they didn’t. Not to you.” Bucky cried as he looked Steve in the eyes. The blonde said nothing and looked away trying to pull his hand out from Bucky's grip. That was an answer enough for Bucky who just grasped his hand and held it even tighter. 

“How, how long ya been here punk.” Bucky eventually asked after what seemed like hours. “I mean… in captivity…” he added after realising what he had said was really vague  
“Can’t really tell. Member, Zola sayin, it was 19-1948. When I woke. Dunno, what the date now is though. They started gassen’ me ‘bout 14 cycles ago though. So, I’ve been ‘ere a while.” Steve sighed quietly as he curled around Bucky’s lap, looking up when he felt him still.  
“Stevie… I, I woke up, bout…m fourteen light an dark cycles ago… He said its 1950.” the brunette whispered shallowly. “What colour was the gas Stevie?” Bucky asked  
“Oh… feels like time ‘ad passed.” came the quiet reply after a minute. “Bright yella buck. They gassen’ ya too?” Steve sighed as he curled up around his friend more. His Brooklyn accent slipping out.

“Yeah Stevie, yeah they are.” he whispered. “We ain’t getting outta this one… are we?” Bucky asked. Steve shook his head.  
“Been ‘er long nought, ta know that.” Steve whimpered, looking away from Bucky. “Sorry… tha gas has been makin ma head fuzzy for a while now.” Steve whispered.  
“Did it… does it h…” Bucky tried to ask, his voice wavering with worry. Not wanting to upset Steve or make him anymore uncomfortable as he is. “How’ ya feelin punk.”  
“A little sore.” Steve whimpered out. over the years ‘a little’ had come to mean terribly for the pair, for example ‘are you hungry’ ‘just a little’ meant terribly hungry, at the height of the depression. “Did it hurt?’ ‘A little’ meant the pain was absolute agony, from when Steve received the serum. It always meant the pain was unbearable.  
“I should’ a, should’ a sent ya back, a-after Azzano, ya didn’t need ‘a go… go through this s-shit again.” The captain apologized, wheezing, guilty for putting his friend through more pain. Knowing that his hell was now their hell. Both of them in Zola’s hands and Bucky back with him in hydra hell. For asking Bucky to stay and continue fighting. Tears leaked down his face as he thought about how he failed his friend.

“Don’t say that shit punk. I chose to follow the stupid punk from Brooklyn who refused to stop fighting.” Bucky cried out, his voice hitching as he looked at Steve again. “So, stop blamin’ yourself punk. To the end of the line. I meant it.” Buck sniffled as he elbowed Steve.  
“Then End of the line too jerk.” Steve sniffled back and let out a dull laugh. 

The creation of the winter soldiers had begun.


	6. chapter 6: the pit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Well isn’t this touching gentlemen.” Zola laughed as the doctors entered the room. Subject ss-075 let out a snarl as subject ss-076 whimpered. The sergeant angry at the pain the Swiss put his friend through. The doctor smiled at the sergeant who’s face had begun to envelop in fear, his anger short lived. “Shall we begin gentlemen, after all we can’t let our two assets be armless forever.” He chuckled, the whimpers he got out of his two subjects a delight to his ears. 
> 
> "Its time to begin remoulding you both into our perfect soldiers."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This IS NOT an innocent chapter, mentions of torture, rape, mutated genitalia(Not mutilated there is a difference here), first times and our two beloved brooklyn boys admitting there relationship hasn't been of a friendly nature for quite a while. 
> 
> you have been warned. 
> 
> This is a long one as i want to get onto the next part of the story as soon as i can so please bear with me. 
> 
> other notes which i haven't covered.
> 
> All languages Steve and Bucky can speak from there childhoods to the end of the war.  
> languages Steve can speak: English, Romanian (also yiddish, aramaic, and hebrew From Barnes family), russian, japanese, french, Italian, Spanish, german, Irish, ulster scots (never stated where in Ireland Sarah or Joseph rogers was from so i'm placing them in northern Ireland, leaving during the partition of Ireland after the civil war.) and latin (some catholic sermons where still given in latin in the early 1900's)
> 
> Languages Bucky can speak: Romanian, russian, hebrew, yiddish, aramaic, english, japanese, french, italian, german.

Doctor Zola looked down over the two bloody men on the tables in front of them. Both had been heavily sedated the past few hours as he observed the two teams of doctors and technicians he had hand picked out of his remaining hydra officers and Russian’s he trusted. they had been allowed some time to recover from there sedation before surgery so that he could show them what was to become of them.

He had returned to the surgical theatre an hour after he had subject ss-076 and ss-075 rolled in from their usual torture cells. When he returned to them he had his two teams follow him as they rolled in multiple carts of tools and two large sealed cases. These tools would be used in the operation he was going to initiate on the two men. When he returned to the theatre he was met with a touching spectacle of his two subjects embracing the other as best they could, given the numerous restraints holding them to the table. Both where holding each other’s hand as they continuously stared between each other and the ceiling. He chuckle at that. He wanted both men to see each other fully before there surgery but did not want the risk that subject ss-075 would break out and rescue ss-076, given that ss-075 was the stronger of the pair at the moment. The mirror placed above them was the best option to that. 

“Well isn’t this touching gentlemen.” Zola laughed as the doctors entered the room. Subject ss-075 let out a snarl as subject ss-076 whimpered. The sergeant angry at the pain the Swiss put his friend through. The doctor smiled at the sergeant who’s face had begun to envelop in fear, his anger short lived. “Shall we begin gentlemen, after all we can’t let our two assets be armless forever.” He chuckled, the whimpers he got out of his two subjects a delight to his ears.  
"It's time to begin remoulding you both into our perfect soldiers." he laughed as he snapped his fingers. 

Both men let out cries and whimpers as the scientists stood above them and injected them with anesthetic. Both tables that they were on where quickly separated, both men letting out a whimper at their lost contact. They both shared looks of fear as they blacked out on the tables. The whine of motorized bone saw the last thing either of them heard as they fell into bleak darkness. 

After hours of gruelling surgery, ripping and replacing bones with metal and nerves with wires and welding flesh and skin to metal, it was done. Both subjects slept upon their blood soaked operating tables, the smell of iodine permeating strongly from the red raw seams of their shoulders where flesh connected to bright shining metal plates.  
Everything had went perfectly, even the few planned and unplanned few incidents they had where both men had awakened on the operating table… and a body to dispose of from when Sergeant Barnes awoke early after surgery. Even with that Doctor Zola could only smile at his success. He got to watch first hand as his greatest mechanical creation beautifully and brutally showed its strength. Snapping one of his underling’s necks like it was a twig. 

But now, hydra’s weapons were beginning to take shape, Zola’s vision for their future was getting closer as each stage of his plans passed. For now though the next stage was up to his colleague doctor Fenhoff. Who would spend the next few years erasing there memories, programming them to follow hydra’s orders and training them into the fearsome assassins that they will become. Yes it would take a while but better that than have them go rogue after a decade. They could not take any chances when they had the possibility to have two assassins that could live for decades and never grow old. 

Zola watched as both men where wheeled out of the theatre and taken to a specialised cell, “The Pit.” A specially designed isolation chamber built for the next part of project bezumiye. Watching as both men where unstrapped and placed onto hammocks. Their cell was a rather large pit, one which would be only accessible through the ceiling 20 meters above them. Industrial lights, hidden cameras and large speakers had been built into the top of the walls below the opening. 

The doctor watched as both men were lowered into the cell, awaiting a small team of men who were there to move them from the hammocks onto two thin grey mats whilst they healed. Both where covered with two flimsy grey blankets and left with two metal canteens, one large one containing the grey gruel which they had been receiving instead off solid food and a canteen half the size of that for the small spigot of water on the furthest wall from them above a small yet thick reinforced grate, below it was a small sewage pipe for the pair to defecate into.  
He continued to watch as the soldiers in the cell where harnessed out of it and the cell sealed. Waiting for his soldiers to awaken.

A high pitched whimper echoed around the room, awaking the sergeant from his own pain filled hazy sleep. His left arm, left pectoral and left part of his back felt as though it was on fire. Leaving him in utter agony. He let out his own cry of pain as he gained consciousness. He regretted opening his eyes as he was met with blinding light. His first response was to shield his face with his left hand which blocked out as much as it could. 

His heart stopped as he looked at it in its cold glory…. It was a horrid metal contraption. Made up of multiple metal interlocking plates.  
He could only let out a strangled scream at the monstrosity as he began to claw it off from where it connected painfully with his skin. Leaving scrapes that were beginning to draw blood as he began to go deeper. He could only howl in pain as the arm seemed to shock him. 

“If you continue to do that subject ss-075 we will sedate you and remove you from subject ss-076’s presence.” Zola spoke over an intercom. That seemed to get his attention, getting him to calm down as much as me could in a situation like it. Another pained gasp followed by a whine caught his ear as he turned to his right.  
“STEVE.” Bucky cried out as he spied his friend next. He yelped in pain as he set his left on the ground to push up and make his way to Steve, collapsing in a pile before crawling over to his friend with his right arm. “God Stevie!” 

“Rebel and you will both be punished sergeant, comply and you will both be rewarded, if you try to kill one another, we will revive you and you will be separated from one another. The choice is yours Sergeant Barnes.” Zola spoke up once more before cutting the com, a small beep going off as it cut.  
The Blonde was paler than Bucky ever remembered him. He was still unconscious and in serious pain. The older man gently lifted up the blanket covering Steve to have a look at what was causing his friend pain only to cry out in horror as he spied an identical metal arm gracing Steve’s right arm. Looking at him his friend seemed to be at his worse point ever, even after all the sickness and hunger they had gone through over the years. Steve never seemed to look so battered, bruised and beaten.

Bucky let out a quiet sob as he pushed himself up against the wall, gently lifting Steve’s head in his right arm and placing it gently on his lap. Getting a small whine out of the younger man. He used his new metal left arm to grab the blanket he had shed off him as he awoke. Causing him immense pain as he reached over, the metal rubbing against the broken inflamed flesh of his shoulder.  
“Come on Stevie… please wake up…” Bucky whispered quietly as he began to nod off against the wall. 

He awoke a few hours later when he felt Steve stiffen in his grasp. Steve was still lying in his lap but had seen what had happened to his right arm.  
“Steve, hey Stevie… oh thank god you’re awake.” Bucky muttered quietly as he began to cry. Everything about their situation was depressing. Captured, missing for years, tortured, starved, beaten, experimented upon, frozen, and now these monstrosities of metal welded into their skin and flesh, mounted to bone.  
“B-buck…” Steve gasped quietly as his body began to shake. 

“Yeah. It’s me bud, I’m here. Were okay…” he silently said as he lowered his face to Steve’s. the blonde looked at him with such blinding hope before looking around the cold concrete walls of there cell. His hope was replaced by nothing more that despair. He looked at his friend before giving him a humourless smile as his gaze dropped down to his new right arm.  
“W-We’re captives Buck… we’re r-really not okay.” Steve chuckled silently, his eyes still on his own metal monstrosity welded into his right side.  
“Yeah… we’re really not…” he chuckled sadly, “Can’t blame me for tryna lighten the situation.” The brunette added.  
“Your alive… that’s enough for me.” Steve quietly murmured, the way that any normal man wouldn’t have heard it. Bucky however was surprised he did though.  
“So are you punk…” he chuckled as he wiped the tears built up around Steve’s eyes. “God what a mess for us Stevie. We’re only twenty three and twenty two and we’re already fucked up.” Bucky cried as he petted his friends head, tears rolling down his cheeks. 

“Are we twenty two and twenty three.” Steve spoke up as he looked at Bucky with a small smirk, not exactly his famous shit eating grin but Bucky thought that might be the closest he’d ever get to seeing it again. “I might be twenty four and older than you now. Unless we’re twenty eight and twenty seven.”  
Bucky just let off a snort at that. Yeah typical Stevie, good to know that hydra hadn’t beaten his sense of humour out of him. “Don’t know punk, I really don’t…” Bucky replied as his smirk fell of his face at the truth.  
“So… where… where are we?” Steve asked.  
“Honestly… I don’t know…. Were still with hydra only now… just this.” Bucky replied as he and Steve looked around them.  
“I think they came prepared.” Steve whispered after a while.  
“Yeah punk…. They did…. We ain’t getting outta this one…. And I wouldn’t wanna try anytime soon… neither of us would make it far in… in our state.” Bucky whispered as he hugged Steve tightly as he lowered himself down the wall, placing Steve’s head into his chest as he repositioned himself on his mat.  
“…I know.” Was Steve’s quiet reply. He couldn’t look his friend in the eyes when he said it, not wanting to see the hopelessness in his eyes.

They just stared at each other for a while, not needing to communicate, they already knew what the other was saying after years of friendship.  
They huddled together like that for hours, Steve’s head on Bucky’s chest, curled up into his side, soaking up the warmth from his friend, just like they used to back in New York before the war. Neither noticed when they fell asleep, only that they held onto one another with the little strength they had left. Both finally getting a decent rest after weeks of torture. Knowing that the other was next to them was enough to calm them both into a gentle slumber.

They were awakened to a roar of endless blaring noise that assaulted there hearing. Noise so loud that it made there ears ring and heads ache. It blocked out all sound from the cell. No soft russle of the stiff blanket or skin grating against foam. All that soft gentle noise was lost to the deafening blare of clatter in an unknown language, changing from what Steve could only think of as a rousing speech to screeching music. Neither Steve nor Bucky knew what language was being blasted at them.  
After yelling for one another and waiting a few hours, they slowly realised that this was how Zola would break them.

Over the first few days of their noisy captivity together in their cell, the soldiers tried there hardest to block out the noise that was blaring at them the whole time. They didn’t have much in the cell so they ripped up tiny pieces of newspaper and shoved it in their ears to block out the noise. Both helping each other, there new metal prosthetic’s only allowed for some movement currently with the swelling and inflammation around the seam connecting metal to flesh as their bodies began to heal from the forced surgery. Their fingertips would only just about curl and the servos would whirr as they tried to curl there entire fingers. 

The captain was far slower than the sergeant, needed help shoving them into his ears and even rip them out. They later ripped them out in frustration as they did nothing against the noise. They just remained curled around each other most of the cycle, with Bucky having to spoon feed Steve, who hadn’t eaten out of a bowl or even metal container for two years, having been feed through a tube down his throat. The elder man helping his friend gain some more movement day by day as he helped the younger build up some new muscle mass after years of wastage on Zola’s exam table. It was helping as the captain had begun to put on a little weight over the past few days and could now push himself up into a sitting position and move to crawl, but he still looked as skeletal as he had before, with endless black bags under his eyes. Just like he did he supposed.

Both of them spent each cycle cuddled up in each other’s remaining arm, both afraid that the other was a hallucination, an illusion or that when there knocked out, they’ll either be ripped from each other once more. The first cycle after they had been reunited was the sargent crying over his captain as he looked him over, noting how tired and injured he was… distraught that his captain had been tortured, experimented upon, for how long he didn’t know and the captain refused to say anything. He only knew what Zola told him and what he guessed roughly in his head, but knowing it could have been far longer than the swizz doctor let on. They both curled around each other protectively, making it near impossible to tell where one began and another ended. Grasping for comfort for fear they would be separated. They nearly where too, when the sargent threw their rations against the wall in protest. 

The captain watched as his S.O pulled out of his grasp one cycle, it was only two or three cycles since they had been returned to one another after their surgery. Neither of them had been awake for long after having been gassed again. The sergeant had become a bit rebellious now knowing that Steve was with him. He thrashed out of Steve’s weak grip one cycle and yelled in his ear above the deafening noise of the cell. 

“I CAN’T TAKE THIS. I’M NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AS WE BECOME THEIR LITTLE COMPLACENT PUPPETS. THEY PUT US IN THESE CELLS, THERE'S BOUND TO BE A WAY OUT. WE JUST NEED TO FIND IT!” He yelled into Steve’s ear as he shakily stood up off the floor, even he was becoming as weak as Steve now. Steve’s eyes widened in fear as he saw Bucky get up and stumble around the cell as he patted the wall down from top to bottom, checking the metal grate in the floor to see if he could lift it to even checking if there water spout could come loose.  
There was nothing. 

Steve watched as Bucky got angry and started swearing, only for it to be drowned out by the clatter of noise. After a few minutes he saw his friend bend down and pick up the canteen containing the grey gruel that was there rations. The blondes eyes lit up in fear as he realised what his friend was about to do.

“BUCKY NO DON’T!” Steve cried out hoarsely but it was too late. The sergeant picked them up and threw them against the wall in hopeless anger. Breaking the container and getting rations all against the wall. Steve scrambled backwards against the wall as he looked into the ceiling and saw another gas canister being released down. Bucky looked over at Steve before seeing the fear in his friends face and looked up to the gas being released into their cell. Both passed out within inches of each other, just out of each other’s grasp. 

When Bucky awoke, he found he was strapped to the cold concrete floor, that both he and Steve where restrained to the floor, with heavy metal restraints cuffing them down. Bucky was lying on his back whilst Steve was on his stomach, metal collar holding his neck to the ground as his wrists where stretched out in front of him, his knees on the floor as his ass pointed high in the air, cuffs securing his knees and ankles to the floor. Steve looked like he had been awake for a few minutes now, waiting for his friend to awaken, the relief on his face showed that. Bucky had exactly the same amount of cuffs on him, only they were pinning him onto his back. That however that wasn’t what scared the sergeant. What scared him was the group of six black uniformed guards with full black helmets and gas masks, two of which stood above him as the other four stood around Steve. 

The two that where by the sergeant quickly leaned down and grabbed his mouth, forcing it open as they began to insert a tube down his throat, causing him to gag and choke as they poured the grey mush rations into his stomach. The worse thing was he could hear himself choking on it. The blasting clatter that he and Steve had been forced to listen too for the past few cycles no longer was playing. They could hear everything in there cell. 

He panicked when his thoughts caught up to him, as he looked back over at his best friend. A dirty tube and container were lying on the floor next to Steve. There was a faint trickle of the grey rations on his mouth. They had force fed him and Steve. The sergeant thought that would have been the end of it as they stood over him for at least ten minutes after pulling the tube out of his throat. 

He was wrong, oh so very wrong.

He felt a prick in his right arm, an injection of sorts, making heat pool around his lower stomach before having his head shunted over to face Steve, who looked away from him, as the soldiers crowded around the blond who had been moved. They worked quickly to place the sergeant into the exact same position as his captain, even removing his underwear and adding it to the farthest side of their cell where a second pair laid. Steve’s pair.

What he noticed was his friend’s very noticeable erection, and the slick of lubricant dribbling down his back and onto the floor below the captain, before quickly noticed his own growing length, feeling a weird slick feeling sliding out his hole. Wondering what exactly was in that injection. He cried out in horror as he saw the soldiers begin to unzip their trousers. His eyes widened in panic as he tried to look at Steve. Steve said that they had touched him… but Bucky didn’t want to think of how far the guards went with it.

Bucky watched as the two solders above him bent down and quickly removed the cuffs pinning him to the floor, quickly repositioned him in the cell. The sergeant was too sore and cramped from his position to fight back, even as they removed his boxers. The soldiers put him into the same position as his captain, his flesh right arm stretched out to meet Steve’s left as they circled them like predators. His metal left was utter agony as it was wrenched forward and placed into the cuffs with his right. Securing him to the floor. Two guards stepped forward, one behind Steve, another behind Bucky. They both removed their gloves and threw them down on top of their cuffed arms before the guards began to finger the sergeant, getting him to cry out as they rubbed his asshole before the hands moved lower. Fingers plunging into a second hole which the sergeant didn’t realise he had, getting a scream from him as he cried out in shock and pain at the intrusion. 

He had a pussy, a tight, hot dripping pussy, right under his ball sac and between his sac and his asshole, getting him to freak out as the soldiers above him and Steve lifted a mirror, showing that the captain had an equally wet and dripping pussy with the fingers of one of the soldiers stretching it wide. The soldier above Bucky thrust two thick fingers into the sergeant’s hole roughly, getting a sharp cry out of the sargent as a tannoy came over the cell, the Russian music having been silenced for the minute. 

“My dear sergeant, look at what your rebelling has gotten you both, I need your compliance above all else to create my beautiful weapons. This is your punishment. This must be a surprise for you ss-075. To find that you have the genitalia of both a man and a woman. As does ss-076, do you want to know how this happened?” Zola’s voice came over the tannoy as the soldiers behind them laughed through there masks. “It seems to have been a permanent side effect of the serums mixing. I believe you know where this is going subject ss-075, after all ss-076 is used to this punishment by now, but I hope you will comply after your punishment. Auf weidersen my dear assets.” the tannoy cut and the Room fell silent, allowing both men to hear there cries of pain.

Bucky’s cry of pain had Steve looked up, his sorrow, pain and embarrassment on his face was heart breaking for Bucky. Steve bit his lip and let out a small pleasure filled moan before mouthing “I’m sorry” to his friend as the guards repositioned themselves over the pair. Bucky began to whimper with fear at what they were about to do. He had never slept with a man before, not like this and not with his ass either, but he could tell from Steve’s tears and expression that this was going to hurt, even the fingering wouldn’t lessen the pain. Both of them yelled out and cried as the soldiers plunged their enormous cocks straight into the two dripping tight pussies, stretching the sergeant’s hole and captains wide. 

Both felt like they were being split in too as both cried out, the captain moaned wantonly like a needy whore, whilst the sergeant screamed and cried out loud with pain, unused to feeling another man’s prick inside of him. It wasn’t too long either before he began to let out moans of pleasure between cries of pain. The soldiers hitting his sensitive spot over and over, blinding the brunette with pleasure. Steve gasped and whined as the soldiers began to shove a thick, cold, metal butt plug into their asses as they continued to rape them both. Bucky just screamed at the violation.

Bucky could only cry and scream as pain soon bled into pleasure as he felt heat pooling beneath his stomach and his balls tightened. He screamed and collapsed as he had the most powerful orgasm in his life, reducing him to a limp pile of flesh as the soldier behind him continued to fuck into his hole before cumming deep inside of him. He looked over to Steve to see his friend’s blissed, satisfied face and could only gasp as Steve began to whine, looking like a needy little kitten beneath the soldiers. Bucky watched as Steve reached his orgasm and marvelled as it shot out over the floor powerfully, coating his chest and part of his neck. Steve’s moans continued and Bucky could only think Steve had had his brains fucked out with how delirious his friend was. High off the orgasm. 

“Steve!” Bucky cried out as he fought against the restraints holding him down. The guards looked at him before nodding, two of them pulling out weird metal hoops with hooks on them connected to thick leather straps as one of them punched Bucky in the face, resulting in a pained whine from Steve as he watched his friend’s face slap the cold floor.  
Dazed, the soldiers quickly altered the restraints holding the sergeant down, as they undid the restraints on both men, pushing them up onto their hands and knees as they reconnected the restraints to the floor, adding a chain to each of their metal collars and looping it to the chain connecting the cuffs holding their arms down. Bucky watched as the soldiers grabbed Steve’s Jaw and forced it open, placing the metal loop with hooks on it into his mouth as another quickly tied it around the back of his head. Leaving his mouth opened and wide. He knew what that gag was for within moments of being grabbed by the jaw himself. Cold metal being forced into his mouth and holding it wide open. He tried to break it as he bit down against it but the metal would not budge.

He watched as his view of Steve was blocked by a guard who quickly grabbed him by his hair and yanked his head back, forcing his dick into Bucky’s open mouth, causing him to choke and panic at the intrusion. It was worse that he could not bite down in an attempt to remove the unwanted intrusion. After a few thrusts down his throat, Bucky felt a soldier behind him slap his ass painfully as they slid into his gaping wet puss, forcing him to take the dick in his mouth deeper down his throat. He cried against the intrusion as he pulled at his restraints. The resistance was only met with slaps and a taser which shocked Bucky stupid and dazed. After a while he stopped fighting and just let the soldier use him. Crying all the time at the violation to not only him, but to Steve as well. 

This continued for hours as all six soldiers in the room had a turn with each prisoner, emptying themselves at least twice if not more times into the men pinned to the floor until they were shooting blanks, filling their mouths, pussies and asses with cum. That was when things changed.  
The room filled with the bright yellow gas both had been subjected to, knocking the pair of Americans out again. 

When they came too, both where restrained painfully once more, both having been lifted off the floor in a metal contraption that essentially hog tied them, both had on crude corsets which where harnessed into the contraption, keeping both lifted off the ground whilst two nipple clamps pierced through there sensitive buds attaching weighed chains. Two thick pairs of metal restraints locked their arms on place, whilst a leather harness covered their arms beneath the cuffs, and connected them to the restraints holding their arms, over their backs whilst the thick metal collars held there neck and head in place had attached to the collar was a new gag. A gag which filled their mouths with a thick dildo. One that curved down the back of both men’s throats, causing both to choke in panic when they awoke to their new position. Unable to move as two more thick metal restraints pinned their legs up and wide onto a frame. The large metal butt plugs that where in there asses had been removed, there assholes bruised and gaping. The way in which both men had been bound had left their two holes open and dripping, lube and cum dripping messily down there cracks and under there balls. 

That’s where the contraptions final design came in, impaling both men on to not just one but two, huge thick black dildo’s each, that was attached to it, filling their raw, red, gaping pussies and crushing their throbbing cocks in a too small cockrings, leaving their aching members straining purple. The soldiers in black had left the cell, having fitted them to the contraption. They must have been waiting for both men to wake up, as within minutes of waking the thick dildos shoved in their pussies and asses began to vibrate, making both men screamed and moan with lust and pleasure, yet being denied release. There was even had a rubbery tongue stimulating their clits, leaving them soaking with natural lubricant. They were left for hours in that position left red weeping and raw as they were tortured. 

Unlike Bucky who was just in the monstrous contraption, Steve had other contraptions attached to him which every so often turned on and electrocuted the captain, leaving him screaming at the intensity of the voltage, high enough for the sergeant to see his friends skull and body light up, and leaving Bucky crying out in mercy behind the gag filling his mouth. Punishing one, punished the other, reminding them that they would receive only punishment for rebelling. Whether it was them or the other who received the punishment. This was just as much a punishment for Bucky as it was Steve.

Eventually, they were knocked out with the gas again and their restraints removed, their underwear placed next to their mats and the loud din filled the room once more. When they woke up the sargent was crying and apologising to his captain who was still blistered and burnt and unaware of anything going on, his brain scattered after the many high voltage shocks to his head as they curled in around each other on the mat, still naked, careful of their aching body parts. Steve, when he came back to some semblance of recognition and clarity, only kissed Bucky’s head as he rubbed his sergeants rear gently, trying to sooth the pain. Knowing all too well how sore it was after being taken for the first time, and in such a rough way too.

Barnes returned the favour and carefully rubbed small circles near his friends’ entrance. Trying to return the favour and soothe the pain. He leaned over Steve’s ear and yelled at him as his friend came around again.  
“GOD STEVIE, I’M SORRY. I’M SO, SO SORRY.” He cried as he kissed his friends fore head.  
Steve looked at him and mouthed back “its okay, I forgive you.” As he pulled himself up a little to kiss away his friends tears. Bucky gave a watery smile and looked at his friend and gently moved some of Steve’s long hair out of his face with a smile. Bucky watched as Steve looked down at his eyes and back at him. Bucky just nodded and leaned forward as the pair met in the middle. There first kiss. They pulled apart only for Steve to bring his hands up to Bucky’s face and pull in for another kiss. Soon they were snogging as Steve moved to straddle Bucky as he began to grind into him. 

It didn’t take long before Bucky got hard and Steve’s underwear became soaked. Bucky just flipped Steve onto his back as he ripped off Steve’s underwear as he pulled out his own prick. Steve laughed at him as he pulled Bucky’s underwear down. Bucky looked at Steve who nodded before slipping inside, looking at Steve the whole time whose legs had moved to circle his back. It took a moment or two for Bucky to get used to the feeling of his friends tight wet pussy. Tighter than any woman he had ever been with, and it sucked him in violently. Bucky had to put some effort in to pull back out before sinking back in to Steve’s pussy. Burying his prick in the tight heat. He soon had a rhythm set and he began to fuck into Steve, deep and hard, getting Steve to yelp loudly as he grasped at Bucky’s back, dragging his nails down his back. It wasn’t long before either felt there climax approaching. Steve just arched up and took Bucky’s lips in his own as his orgasm hit. Bucky’s eyes went wide as Steve’s pussy clamped down around his long, thick prick like a vice; he bucked in until he was buried to the hilt, flesh hitting flesh as he painted Steve’s insides with his load.  
Bucky collapsed gently on top of Steve, hugging him as they both blacked out for a minute, both seeing stars. Bucky rolled over onto his back as he slowly pulled out. Both men looked at each other lovingly, ignoring their captivity, both silently acknowledging that their feelings towards one another weren’t just friendly and hadn’t been for a long time. Bucky felt slightly glad that Steve was here with him, having Steve dragged down into the darkness that he stood in from that first day after Azzano. It felt like they were equals, even if he felt guilty about it. Steve just pulled his friend out of his chain of though with a kiss as he moved to lift Bucky’s hips, getting a gasp out of the brunette as he melted into the kiss. 

Steve grinded his hard prick against Bucky’s sopping wet clit, getting a moan from the brunette beneath him, not that they could hear it over the music. Bucky soon began to grind up against Steve as his legs hooked behind Steve. He grabbed behind Steve’s neck and hauled himself up into his lap, getting impatient with all the teasing and just forced himself down Steve’s thick throbbing dick, moaning as he slid down and Steve bucked up into his friend’s tight cunt. After a moment, when Bucky was fully down Steve’s prick down to the hilt, both looked at each other with a competitive grin as Steve began to buck up into Bucky.  
Each swapped after they cummed, swapping who was on top and who was on bottom until they were shooting blanks themselves, after ten or twelve orgasms. Only stopping when they couldn’t continue anymore, both completely shattered and tired to the bone. They spent the rest of their time in the light huddled together, talking quietly using their eyes, knowing what the other was saying. Both had made a quiet agreement that they would do all they could to ensure that hydra never used them like that again, that they would be the only person to fuck the other… but that meant no more rebelling and fighting against their captors.  
Both silently acknowledging that things would be far worse for both of them if they were ever separated, but that to remain together meant complying. It was the last time they gave any resistance to their captors. Knowing that the soldiers could come in and out of their cell at any time and that they would not be leaving scared both of the soldiers in the cell. The pain, humiliation and threat of being used by other people like they were nothing were a strong enough deterrent, neither refused there rations again. They complied.

As time went on, they realised it wasn’t the soldiers they should fear.  
It was the gas.

Each time the gas was released both men were knocked out only to awaken in either light or dark. The gas left a nasty aftertaste in their mouths and both where complaining to the other of a worsen head ache each time they woke up after the gas. The yelling back and forth to one another didn’t help them either. Both men felt as though their heads where in vices as the cycles continued as they began to rest their foreheads against the concrete in an attempt to sooth them. Things were beginning to get painfully fuzzy in their minds as they settled into their new, isolated life. Mostly forgotten by the outside world. Only to receive their ration of thick gloopy grey nutrient paste and a similar container of water where refilled, which happened after four cycles of light and dark each time.  
After what they thought was at least a month in the pit they noticed that they had both gone downhill fast. Neither man was doing very well, both looked skeletal, more so than either of them had before in the depression, with heavy hanging dark bags under their eyes. There acquired muscle mass from their time during the war quickly withered away as they became thinner and thinner. Moving became painful for each of them, leaving them to both just curl up around each other as they sat on the thin mats, there just as thin blankets pulled over each other in an attempt to hide themselves from the rest of the blank cell. Yet they still occasionally fucked when they needed to release their tension and their Horniness overcame them. They moved once every few cycles through there room, mainly to go to the furthest corner to relieve themselves aside from exploring each other’s bodies. They didn’t move besides that. Neither knew if they slept either, the clatter of noise too loud to allow them to fall asleep, or whether they were just being constantly knocked out via the gas. They both knew that any chance of escape or rescue was never going to happen.

Bucky looks at Steve one cycle and finds a look of painful resignation in his friends’ eyes. Seeing it in Steve’s eyes broke Bucky. Steve should never have that look in his eyes. He was broken, something Steve never should have been, he’s as badly broken by war and hydra as Bucky was. Neither could stop the tears from running down there faces with the revelation. They just clung to each other tighter that day as they kissed lazily.

As both men became lost to the noise of the cell, they occasionally found themselves looking at the other like something was wrong. The Blonde kept staring at his hand and legs, thinking that they were bigger than he remembered. The brunette thought something similar of his partner, he remembered the blonde, Steve, and he called him Steve, being small enough to fit under his arms. Whilst Steve called him Bucky, thinking Bucky was once taller than him by a head at a time, wearing a green uniform of sorts. 

As the cycles went on the every so often the other would call out to each other over the noise of the propaganda being spewed. Neither remembered their own name anymore but remembered the name of their partner. The brunette with a metal left arm was Bucky, that’s who the blonde called him. Likewise, the blonde, who had a similar metallic right arm, was Steve, that’s who the brunette replied with. It was only when the other called out their name did; they even remember they had one. 

Time didn’t exist to them anymore, their heads too dazed and fuzzy that they didn’t know how long they had been with one another. Each had stopped talking to one another so many cycles ago that they couldn’t even remember what they or their partner sounded like, as they soon gave up trying to hear what they had to say, instead tapping on each other to get their attention and communicate. Forming a language of their own, a mix of Morse code and other bits and pieces they developed along with little looks and facial expressions. 

As the cycles continued on with the gas, darkness, gas and light, the outer world no longer existed for either man, the grey concrete cell the only thing that existed, everything from colours to sounds faded as faces and names disappeared into the sound of the clatter. Both men in the cell no longer remembered who they were, where they were or why they were there in the cell.

Any friends and family, did they have any family? did they have any friends?, that they may once have thought about became forgotten as their minds became mush under the gas treatment, the cycles of light and dark and the all-encompassing clatter from the great voice. They soon took to calling their partner, the one they clung tightly too since they first woke up in the cell as simply “other”. All memory who they were and who their partner was vanished as the cycles of light, gas and darkness continued, all they knew is that “other” was special and that they would never leave them behind. 

They knew the blonde and the brunette, through some unknown impulse that it was always himself and other, to the end of the line.

As the cycles continued on and on, until either man in the cell became nothing at all. All they knew was the safety and comfort of one another and their cell. 

In the control room above two men observed the soldiers in the cell below.  
“You arrived back just in time doctor Zola.” A Russian man spoke up.  
“Ah doctor Fenhoff, it was a pleasure to return given the circumstances, after all, the American’s where quite generous to let me leave to return to Switzerland to attend my mother’s funeral. Whilst Philip, Carter and Stark kept a close eye on me when I entered the S.S.R, the C.I.A gave me plenty of le-way to make myself at home.”  
“Yes, it was a tragedy, to be struck down so easily in her elderly age with influenza. What a shame Herr doctor.” The Russian laughed.  
“Thank you for organising that.” The swizz smiled. “So how goes project Bezumiye.”  
“Ah, they were quite stubborn in the beginning doctor Zola. It took three hundred and fifty-eight days to break them both down and another hundred to ensure they were broken.” The Russian laughed as he raised a glass of wine to the doctor.  
“I knew you were good doctor, but I didn’t expect to return to find two complacent harmless puppies. Look at them, they cannot even speak. You have out done yourself doctor Fenhoff” The swizz laughed as he raised his own. “Here is to our winter soldiers’ doctor, the fists of hydra and the red room.”  
“Here’s good doctor.” the Russian said with a smile, taking a swig.  
“Ah, they are perfect Johann, you have out don yourself. Whilst I would love to stay and watch subject ss-075 and ss-076, I believe it is time to rescue our dear Soldati, don’t you think?” Zola asked  
“I thought you would never ask Herr Doctor Zola. I thought you would never ask.” the Russian laughed as he took a sip of wine in celebration at their achievement.


	7. Chapter 7: Ice Breaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Today gentlemen, we are here to rescue two of our most prized prisoners from the War. Both have spent years being broken and warped, there memories erased for us to shape and fix. You here have all been chosen to help reshape these men into the greatest assassins the world will never know but always fear, today Russia has gained two new comrades, two of the finest super soldiers to ever live. Kapitan America and his side kick Sergeant Bucky Barnes." the doctor announced as he stood on top of a concrete mound, surrounded by multiple soldiers, each having a specialist operation.  
> "Before we rescue our captured Soldati it is imperative that they know nothing of before there capture. So today we welcome them as captured commandos from the battle of Bautzen, dispatched and captured warning of a nazi push on our location and not seen since, having swapped hands over there capture to Americans, kapitan Stepan Rogov and serzhant Yakov Baranov." the doctor smiled.  
> "Open the bunker." he smiled as the soldiers ran around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A kind of lighter Chapter. Nudity mentioned, alludes to previous torture. Our beloved boys are finally free from the pits but with no clue as to who they are or why they where there.  
> Introduction of a few OC's and marvel characters such as an assistant to doctor fennhoff who will be the first technician to both the soldiers, and the introduction of the first team of handlers and head handler Commander Karpov.  
> please enjoy and i apologise for the chaos that was the last chapter. I really did want to move onto this section.

In the bland grey cell, two prisoners woke with a start. The blonde, the slightly larger, yet thinner of the two prisoners woke first in a panic. He frantically began to poke at the other man in his cell, a brunette, rapidly tapping his right shoulder with his left hand. Both preferring to use there flesh arm over the metal. It made it easier to tell that they wanted their attention with the flesh arms. It didn’t hurt as much as the metal arms. The brunette, shoved the blondes hand away from him, swatting him as he slept, before bolting up from the thin mat he was on beside his partner.

He pointed into his ear as the other began to clean his out. Both men confused at what they weren’t hearing. Wondering if they had gone deaf finally.

The great voice, the endless racket of loud music that had kept both men company for so long was no longer playing. Both men looked at each other as they heard the gentle crunch of their blankets against their hands and the soft slide of the material against their skin and the floor. They both looked at each other in shock; neither knew a sound so soft. They played around like that for a minute, marvelling at the soft sound.

The brunette jumped in front of the blonde as he looked around the cell, finding a new person in the cell. The blonde peaked his head out from behind his partner and looked over at the man in there cell. He was wearing a grey coat with a bright red pin and shoulder panels on it. He was grey haired and balding but he stood in attention before them looking over both men, his right hand twisting around a ring on his left hand. There was something relaxing, hypnotic even, about that movement to the two men. 

“Oh my dear soldaty, whatever have those nasty Americans done to you both.” he spoke softly as he slowly approached the two men, as if he knew how fearful they were of him at that moment. Both men looked at each other in confusion. The man looked at them with confused pity. 

“Oh my dear boys, do you know who I am. It is me, Dr Fennhoff.” he asked as he moved closer to the two, bending down to be at eye level with them as they leaned away from him and backed up into the wall, pulling there blankets with them. “I thought you both dead. My dear boys I’m here now. I have soldiers ready to lift you both out of here, we go by harness. There is a medical team on standby waiting for you both when we get out of this facility and back to base in Noginsk. We will be going by plane, it will be the quickest way to get you both back to base and checked up on fully. I need to have a look at your arms my boys. Especially these… metal limbs.” he sighed sadly as he looked over the scarred, knotted skin and flesh, welded to metal. Both men refused to look at them, pulling there blankets up around there shoulders like children trying to hide something from their parents. 

“Yes my dear boys, I need to look over your arms, do you know how you lost them?” he asked his fingers rubbing his ring, both men looked at the ring for a good moment, there expressions relaxing before looked at each other before shaking their heads at him. Both silently agreeing that they could trust this nice man. “Oh my dear boys, what did they do to you?” he asked sadly as he held his hand out for the brunette. He was hesitant for a moment before his right arm grabbed the offered hand. The doctor pulled the brunette up with both hands and steadied him as he wobbled, helping him hobble over to the thick rope and a harness made of cloth, fashioned into a sling large enough for two people. “Gently does it, gently does it. We’ll get you both up and medical treatment to get you both back to how you should be.” he smiled softly as he helped the brunette into the sling, wrapping his good right arm around the rope, helping him hold onto it. The doctor walked over and helped the blonde prisoner up; he desperately wanted to be back with his partner. 

Within minutes both where sitting side by side in the harness as the doctor gave a sharp command in a language they didn’t recognise. There harness immediately began to rise, leaving the man alone in the cell. “Do not worry boy’s, I will be up shortly.” he replied as he heard the pair whine upon being separated from the nice old man. They both held on as the harness rose fifteen meters in the air to a hatch in the ceiling that was opened. There they were met by a small group of people, four men holding the rope and two females holding bright red blankets, quickly wrapping the two men in them. All six people were dressed in similar grey uniforms to the doctor, all with bright red shoulder panels and just as bright badges that the doctor had. The two women in the group gently lead both men over to a jeep sitting near them. There a third female was waiting with a small medical set up. For a reason that unnerved both men, getting them to flinch as they sat down and she moved forward. The brunette gave a snarl as she moved towards the two, getting close to his blonde partner. 

“Yasha, please don’t snarl at lieutenant Kolesova, she is making sure you and Stepka are well enough for our long journey.” The doctor who had been in there cell, Doctor Fennhoff spoke as he approached the two men in the jeep. Both men looked at him curiously. 

“Doctor?” the lieutenant gasped silently at their patient’s reaction. She had been fully briefed beforehand and had been with the project for a while, Doctor Fennhoff’s trusted assistant, she would do her part to help persuade these two men into what they should become. The lieutenant made space for the doctor who looked heartbroken as he approached both soldiers under the blankets. 

“You do remember my dear boys? My dear boys, brave serzhant Yakov Baranov and noble kapitan Stepan Rogov to those who do not know you. Yasha and Stepka to those who do. My dear boys do you not remember? I fought with your fathers in the Great War and glorious revolution; I took you both in when your fathers and mothers passed when you were both still do young in the 30’s.” The doctor said with a pained face as he lowered himself to eye level with the two men in the back of the jeep. Both men looked at him like they perhaps did know but reluctantly shook their heads slowly, noticing the doctor was rubbing his ring again, soothing them both. 

“I see… let’s not worry about that for now boys, we need to get you both back to a secure location for examinations.” He said as he placed his hands on their flesh shoulders. “I’m going to administer a simple sedative boys, it’ll help you both rest whilst we travel to the airfield and to our base in Siberia. Sleep now boys, your safe with your comrades once more.” The doctor said as both men looked at him. Each felt a sharp yet painless pinch in there flesh shoulders as they were injected with a sedative. 

After two minutes both men where curled up around one another as they pulled there blankets up. The doctor and lieutenant smiled as the other soldiers piled into the jeep to accompany them to the air field only a mile over, on the furthest part of the base away from the facility where the Americans had spent the past five years. The facility would be burned completely. No trace or evidence of both men’s survival was to ever exist and this building and the many notes that had been left that where unimportant where to be destroyed per Zola’s wishes. Doctor Fennhoff smiled as he looked upon his responsibility. He would lay the foundations for both men’s programming in the upcoming few weeks as they trained to become the most feared assassins the world would ever know. 

Both men were still fast asleep as the soldiers transferred them from the back of the jeep into the small military aircraft. Doctor Fennhoff nodded and saluted to his colleague doctor Zola at the small platform on the grass as the soldiers sealed the small transport plane. Everyone on board where all soldiers who would be the ones to train and handle the two future winter soldiers. They would be responsible for ensuring that missions go as planned and both men gained the reputation that the Red Guard and hydra wanted to give them.  
“Doctor Fennhoff, how long will it take to have both men ready for training?” The final man to board the train asked. 

“Ah commander, it will only take a few weeks to have them build up their strength once more, with the serum it will allow them to gain much more mass back quicker than some of your own men did after the war.” Doctor Fennhoff said as he quickly checked over the two sleeping captives who were strapped into two reclined chairs for the flight. 

“Good, we lost too many men to the axis and allies alike. The sooner these two can begin their training the better; we need their strength to combat against the chaos that is the westerners. The allies have done most of the work for us I believe doctor, there strength comes from there serums and they have been abandoned to their inevitable deaths. It’s a good thing we got them before their allies found them. We can at least salvage them where as the ssr would probably lock them away in a lab never to see the light of day again.” The commander chuckled. He was a rather young man, not too old, in his early 20’s at least, but highly decorated in his service to his country. 

The renowned and feared Commander Karpov, one of the most decorated and loyal red guard soldiers for his age. 

The young commander who was one of the most decorated and loyal soldiers to the Russian red guard, who passed all scrutiny checks by Zola and had the leaders praise, to be the soldier to hold the lease of hydra’s new weapons. Raised by the Red Guard, having fought in the bloodiest battles from the war in its final years once he came of age. He was known to all for his loyalty to the Red Guard and his ferocious punishment to turncoats. The plane had just taken off before the commander asked the next question.

“When shall they receive there implanted triggers doctor.” The commander asked.

“Within a few days. We will tell them it is to try and see if we can recover any memories and use the trigger words to tie loyalty commands in. We will do this along with the chemical imprint, so they know who their head handlers are, we will both be present, doctor Zola however will try to arrange a chance to do this when hydra have managed to secure themselves into shield and the American government and can have a base set up for American operations with our dear soldaty. Whilst you may be imprinted commander, I must inform you that your team won’t be, too many imprints will upset the delicate balance of our work. You will have to introduce each member of the team and inform them of the head handler going on the mission with them to ensure they don’t attack them.”

“Will this work doctor.” The commander asked raising an eyebrow. “They might be blank slates now but both where part of the howling commandos, they were not exactly known for following their commanders orders.”

“Oh yes, both have already fallen for my hypnotism and know I am safe. With both of them as they are now, blank states they will be susceptible to believe everything we have told them, within a few weeks I can have them loyal and with there training we can ensure that they know to follow orders, we have the shock collars to ensure they follow, after all punish one is to punish the other. I will wire their brains and actions to the triggers, by the third word alone they will begin to become compliant. They will comply quickly for fear of punishment Karpov my boy.” The doctor chuckled. 

“That is good to hear doctor.” The commander smirked, “Will there be more than one trigger?”

“Ah that commander is the question I have been waiting for.” Fennhoff smiled, reaching into a brief case, pulling out a small a5 sized red leather-bound notebook with a gold star on it, brand new with pristine white paper. 

He handed it to the young commander.  
“This book commander holds the future of these two subjects. Only there head handler is to ever recite the words from it and only when in the presence of them. You may keep it for I have memorised all the words needed.”

“Thank you doctor, I will take my time to memorise the necessary words.” The commander said and opened the book, flicking through empty page amongst empty page until he came across two lists of words. One with a plain red star above it, the other another start only with black circles around it. A list for each man of ten humble words which would be the trigger for two monsters.


	8. Chapter 8: Is this freedom?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How far out are we from base?" Doctor fennhoff asked as his lieutenant made her way to sit beside him. Checking over both sleeping mens vitals.  
> "The pilots say we are two hours out and have given a warning for turbulence Doctor. I will check that both stepka and Yasha are strapped in." the young woman said with a smile.  
> "Ah yes, but be careful my dear, we do not want them to awaken thinking we are restraining them. Leave there arms free and give them some movement with there upper body." the doctor said with a smile at his ever faithful assistant.  
> "Yes doctor." came the graceful reply as the nurse set to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> updates will be slower for a few days, don't worry its nothing serious, lockdown restrictions have been lifted greatly where i am from so have spent some time catching up with family and friends over the past two weeks. 
> 
> The Battle of which doctor Fennhoff says is when Steve and Bucky, now Stepka and Yasha, where taken P.O.W is an actual battle but it was between Germany and Russia, no Americans involved. 
> 
> Shkol’naya ploshchadka= school ground in Russian. Trigger word to have both returns to their main deployment base in Siberia. Not actual canon trigger but i am putting it in as of course Hydra will have put a trigger in for if the winter soldier ever escaped or went rogue or had to retreat. the trigger basically tells them to return to the siberia base as soon as possible and overrides all other train of thought.

Stepka woke with a jolt as he felt hands on him. He shot up into a sitting position and looked around in panic at his surroundings.  
“Shush Stepka, it is fine, you are safe, Yasha is here beside you.” A calming voice spoke as the blonde looked around. His eyes falling upon doctor Fenhoff, who was kneeling beside him at eye level and pulling his blanket back up around Stepka’s shoulders. The warmth from the blanket and the gentle humming from the doctor as he moved to rub his ring calmed him down quickly as he looked between the doctor and the sleeping Yasha beside him, also wrapped up in his blanket and strapped into his seat.  
The blonde face filled with relief as he looked at the doctor.

“There we go, you’re alright Stepka, and we’ve got you. You are not back there anymore.” The doctor said as he rubbed the younger man’s shoulder. “In fact we are nearly here at our base. Its much more secure than where those Americans held you. They won’t be hurting you or Yasha anymore. Just rest now Stepka.”  
“Is everything alright doctor?” another man asked as he approached the pair. Stepka noticed he was holding a red leather book, and was dressed in a similar grey uniform only with gold medals on his lapel. 

“It is fine commander; Stepka just woke up is all a terror in his sleep I would say.” Doctor Fennhoff spoke.  
“Do not worry kapitan Rogov, you and serzhant Baranov are both back with your fellow soldaty. We will not let you fall behind again, not on my watch soldat. We will help you get back to your former strength and even stronger to chase down and face those capitalist bastards who harmed you both. Now please rest like doctor Fennhoff asks, we will soon be arriving within the hour. ” Commander Karpov said with a small smile to reassure his soldat. He gave a sharp salute to the doctor before marching back up to the front of the plane to sit down in his seat once more. 

Stepka just looked at the doctor inquisitively.  
“Ah do not worry Stepka, that was commander Karpov, he was one of the few people who managed to get away the day you and Yasha where pronounced M.I.A after the Americans ambushed us thinking we were the Germans. You both stayed behind with a few other soldiers to provide cover for us to retreat as you informed us of an impending attack. He is very happy to see you both alive, but I should say he will be a strict commander; he will punish you to help you become stronger if you do not follow his orders. Ah but let’s not worry about that now, you and Yasha have to gain weight and muscle mass back first before we even entertain the notion of both of you back out serving.” He said with a sad smile.  
“But for now, sleep Stepka. I will awaken you and Yasha when we are disembarking.” The doctor said, patting him gently on the shoulder as the young man began to drift off to sleep again in the chair. 

It wasn’t too long before both Stepka and Yasha woke up together once more as the plane jolted, landing hard on the permafrost runway nestled in between a deep valley ridge, with a frozen forest of white coniferous evergreens bent over with the weight of the snow in circling the area east and south of the ridge leaving the north barren ground. It would have been easy enough to overlook if not for the experience of the pilots and the knowledge of the commanders. Both men looked around them as the plane wheeled into a vast hanger in the mountain side. Both of them watching easily a squadron of fifty soldiers running around the hanger as the plane pulled in. ten of them closing huge vast metal hanger doors, hiding the facility from view, making the area look like nothing but simple rugged Russian tundra. Making the base difficult to detect to untrained eyes. 

“Here we are Stepka, Yasha, we are safe now, but we need to hike up to the bases entrance. The others are outside waiting on you both but before that, you need to get dressed into clothes. We can’t have you both hiking in snow in only blankets. We have two sets of wool shirts, jackets, cargo pants, socks and boots. This is just until we are in the base and until myself and lieutenant Kolesova, we will check you both over and get you both to a good comfy bed with warm sheets, away from that cold pit you were both subjugated to.  
Both men looked in awe at the softness and warmth of the fabric. They shed their blankets and both changed into the clothes handed to them as quickly as possible, after they figured out what goes were and which way around the clothes were. They needed help however when it came to the boots, neither man remembered how to tie their laces. It would have been embarrassing if both men knew how to feel embarrassed. Doctor Fennhoff just smiled at them as he helped them put on their thick winter jackets before leading them out of the plane into the hanger. 

When they walked out both men where in awe of the rows of troops that had lined up. Everyman that had been running around the hanger had fallen into line at the steps of the plane. As doctor Fennhoff lead them down and onto the tarmac the soldiers lifted their hands as they saluted the two men. The both looked confused but continued to keep pace with doctor Fennhoff, commander Karpov and the other men who were on the flight with them. They followed the doctor and the commander out of the hanger to a well-worn, but hidden path up the side of the mountain and out into the freezing cold tundra.

“Yasha, Stepka, are you alright?” doctor Fenhoff asked as they left the hanger. Both men pointed back towards the hanger wondering what the display back there was.  
“Ah, you’re wondering about your fellow soldaty.” The doctor chuckled grasping his hand as his fingers tightened around his ring, as they continued up the path. Stepka and Yasha heard the soft melodic humming the ring seemed to give off as the commander spoke up.

“That kapitan Rogov, serzhant Baranov is a sign of respect. You two saved the lives of thousands of Russians before you were captured. Word has spread quickly that both of you have been recovered from the enemies hands after all this time alive. They showed there respect to the two bravest soldaty in the Red Guard.” Karpov spoke up. Both men nodded as they continued to walk with them. 

The rest of the hike up the mountain side was quite tiring for both men but soon they had made it to the top. There at the top of the path stood the vast emptiness of the Russian tundra in front of them; with a thick darkened forest of majestic snow covered evergreens behind them that went far beyond the eye could see. Behind them however stood a large jutting rock that stood on the edge of the cliff face they had just hiked up.  
There built into the side of the rock were two large thick metal doors.

Both men stopped and looked at it, neither had a good feeling about those doors. The feeling of discomfort and unease rose between both of them as they moved to stand as close to the other as possible. They watched as everyone but the doctor walked up to the doors, watching as they opened mechanically and revealed an elevator behind a set of steel jail doors. Both men took a few steps back away from the doors. They didn’t like the feeling it gave them. It was a dark feeling like something slimy was wrapping itself around there bodies. They were petrified of what lay beyond that door.

The doctor and commander noticed that there two soldiers had stopped following them. They knew that behind that door meant danger for them both and if not rectified immediately the months spent in the pit will have been all for naught. The commander nodded at the doctor, giving him permission to use his unique gift as he slowly walked towards both men, his blue eyes turning purple as his ring began to glow. 

“Come along Yasha, Stepka, do not let the doors scare you, no harm will become of you.” The doctor said as he stared into both men’s eyes. Both of them became numb immediately as they looked into the glowing purple eyes of the doctor. Their minds went blank and fuzzy and they listened to the man before them. Their minds screamed at them to follow this man, to listen to him and follow his commands. The voice in their minds where screaming at them that this man had their best interests at heart. They didn’t even need to think about it, they trusted this kind man who had saved them; they would listen to him and follow him. 

Within seconds there stances loosened and there expressions dropped from tense fear into blank molds. Their eyes drooping until they were half lidded and there pupils shrunk until they were nearly pin pricks, a faint purple ring was noticeable on their outer irises. The doctor smiled at seeing this. They were under his control.  
“It is to scare the enemy who would wish to discover this base. You are not enemy, these doors are friendly. This is your base, this is your home.” The doctor continued, getting a nod from both men at the same time, slowly but understanding. Their minds fuzzy as they listened to every word the doctor was saying. Both believing that he was right and he knew best for them both.

“The soldiers here are your superiors, they mean you no harm. They are here to make you stronger. You serve them. You serve the Red Guard. You serve hydra. Hail red guard, hail hydra.” The doctor said with a smile.  
“Hail red guard. Hail hydra.” Both men said blandly. There was no life behind their shared voice, just emptiness. The child like curiosity had drained from both men leaving nothing but a monotone lifelessness, like puppets.  
“Follow me.” The doctor said as he turned around and moved to enter the base. Behind them two soldiers shut the heavy steel doors and the bars behind them as the elevator shook and began to descend into the base. Neither man left their stance and stood eerily beside the man controlling them.

Doctor Fennhoff however continued to stare at the two men and rub his ring. Stepka and Yasha only looked blankly at him with shrunken pupils, neither reacting to anything outside of the doctor, waiting the man’s orders.  
“Excellent. They are easier to hypnotize than I first thought they would be. I will take it from here commander. I request that the gym be ready for the day after tomorrow for both assets, for now they will be getting rest, a checkup and of course “treatment.”” The doctor chuckled as the elevator came to a halt. The commander smiled and nodded as he and his soldiers walked off towards the barracks in the base. The doctor’s nurse, lieutenant Kolesova, saluted her superior and stood beside the doctor. She looked between the two hypnotized assets and her superior with a graceful smile. She was excited to help her superior and help these two men become the assets that the Red Guard needed.  
“Follow me.” He spoke to the two men directly under his control as the soldiers left the elevator. They blankly followed him down the corridor and down to a large room with a medical bed on it.  
“Sit.” The doctor ordered as he pointed at the bed. Both men wordlessly marched to the examination bed sitting in the middle of the room. Yasha sitting on Stepka’s left. “Lieutenant, get two blankets for our assets and prepare yourself for when I break my hold over them. The story is that both of them had flashbacks to their captivity, we shall tell them the entrance must have reminded them of the pit we found them in.” the doctor said as he pulled out two charts.  
“Yes doctor.” The lieutenant replied cheerfully as she ran around the room to the cupboard they had set up already with supplies. There she pulled out two large thick red fleece blankets and closed the cupboard door over. Gently she approached the two soldiers and wrapped the first blanket over Stepka’s shoulders before moving on to Yasha.  
“Ready my nurse?” the doctor asked with a chuckle.  
“Yes doctor Fennhoff.” She replied as she finished wrapping up the brunette sitting on the table. 

The doctor smiled at her before putting on a concerned façade as he moved to stand before both soldiers, not too close however for fear they would lash out, yet close enough that he would be able to break them out of the simple trance he had them under. He raised his left hand and looked at both solders.  
“Look at me boys. Directly at me. On the count of three you will both wake up. You will remember my commands. This base is safe. This base is home. This is your shkol'naya ploshchadka. If you become non-functional you will return to this base. If you become separated from your handler, you will return to this base. If your mission is successful you will return to this base. If your mission is unsuccessful you will return to this base. If you are in need of maintenance, you will return to this base. If you go rogue YOU WILL RETURN TO THIS BASE. This is your shkol'naya ploshchadka.” The doctor instructed as both men looked deeply into his eyes and nodded. The purple glow around there eyes expanded and overtook there whole eyes for a moment as the doctors ring glowed brightly as its melodic hum grew in volume. As quickly as the glow has begun it faded away. Both men’s eyes returned to as ordinary blue as possible bar the purple rings. The melodic hum quieted down until it was silent once more.  
“Excellent. One.” The doctor stated as he started counting.  
“Two.”  
“…Three.” The doctor spoke softly and clicked his fingers on his outstretched hand.

The room was silent for a moment as the snap resonated through the room.  
Within seconds both men shook their heads and gave full body shudders as they grasped the blankets wrapped around there shoulders. Both seemingly curling up under it, looking like scared puppies. Both looked pale in colour and where shaking violently. Both where seemingly gasping for air like they had been denied it, starved of it.  
“Stepka? Yasha? Are you with me?” the doctor asked. 

After a moment Stepka raised his head slowly and looked at the doctor, confusion, panic and fear all over his face before his head snapped around to Yasha’s. Yasha slowly lifted his head as well and looked between his partner and the doctor. 

They both looked at him fearfully, confusion warping their faces.  
“Oh, my dear boys. You’ve been so badly scarred by those nasty Americans. You both seemed to black out when you saw the entrance of the base. Your minds must have thought you were being shoved back down into that pit that the Americans had tortured you both in.” the doctor said as he slowly approached the pair, putting his hands on their heads sympathetically. Both men whined and pushed their heads up into the outstretched hands. 

“Oh Yasha, Stepka. You’re my brave boys. I swear to you both that you are safe here. The Americans will never find you both here.” The doctor spoke softly. “I will try to do my work here as quick as possible. You both will need your nutrient supplements and a shot of additional nutrients and antibodies my boys. To ensure that we flush out any nasty drugs that may be in your systems.” The doctor spoke softly as he gave them the affection they so desperately sought.  
“Oh my dear boys, I’m so glad we found you both. I mourned for you both, when word came of an American base on our borders we rushed into action. It was a surprise when we found they held prisoners from the war for so long. It breaks my heart to know that both of you were held there for so long my dear Yasha and Stepka.” The doctor said sadly. Both men just looked at him sadly. “You don’t remember me do you.” The doctor spoke. 

Both men shook their head. They hadn’t met this man before but he was so nice, so kind to them that there must have been a connection to him.  
“I believe I know what happened to both of you boys.” The doctor sighed as he took a few steps back and picked up a small brown file. Stepka and Yasha just cocked their heads and looked at him as the doctor backed off. The doctor continued to look between the two men and the file for a good five minutes before he turned back to them. 

Both men looked between themselves and the doctor. Yasha tapped along Stepka’s shoulder getting his attention. Yasha gave a gentle tug of the blanket around his shoulder, asking Stepka wordlessly to snuggle closer to him. Stepka gave a slight nod and tugged his blanket around his shoulders closer and slid up tightly against Yasha’s shoulder as his partner let his head flop over onto Stepka’s shoulder. The doctor looked up from his file and noticed this. 

“Oh, sorry Yasha, Stepka, I got lost in thought for a few minutes.” The doctor spoke up, “Do you want another blanket boys. It is no problem.” The doctor said as he lifted another bright red coloured blanket from a pile in one of the cupboards. He quickly walked over and wrapped it around both men’s shoulders. As both men snuggled up beneath the new blanket he pulled over a chair and looked at them both. 

“Stepka, Yasha. As I said before, both of you where… are my adoptive sons. Yasha you were born in 1922 and Stepka was born 1923. Your parents where good friends with myself and with one another, your parents had been in an accident at your fathers work place. They worked in the munitions factory and your mothers worked similar jobs inside the factory as nurses. Some of the men got burns from the weapons components. A few unstable weapons caused a large explosion one day and your parents… passed on. I took you both in, saving you both from going to an orphanage. You both loved the stories I told you both of our adventures during the Great War, so much so you both followed me to Moscow as I worked with the army. You both enlisted at the same time when war broke out, your efforts where appreciated and valiant even though you were both underage. Thankfully my superiors allowed you both to join me as guards until Stepka was of age. You both already had military training and where shipped off to the western front to fight.

That cell we found you both in was an isolation chamber.” The doctor started. “We found similar cells with multiple soldiers inside them after the war. It was a horrible American experiment to reproduce … elite soldiers. Of course they wouldn’t do that on their own soldiers. They liked to use P.O.W’s. By the time we had found many of them they were either insane and feral or where … begging for death. We did find a way to help some of the few soldiers that where capture, they returned to normal civilian lives. You two seem to have been part of that ring. Some of the last soldiers they had I’d say. However it looks like we got to you both in time. I would say a few more weeks and there is a chance both of you would be like the many feral soldaty we pulled out of some of those labs.” The doctor spoke, getting both men to flinch back in horror.

“No, no Stepka, Yasha. Do not worry. You’re here now. I’m here now. Your squadron is here now. Those bastards will not touch you now. Your safe.” The doctor spoke softly as he gently grasped both men’s arms in reassurance. “We can perform the procedure to help your minds heal first thing tomorrow morning and give you both tomorrow afternoon to heal.” The doctor softly added as he rubbed their arms. Both men angled their heads as they looked at each other. 

“Ah but of course. Neither of you know what I am on about. Well…” the doctor said flustered as he shook his head in laughter at his little blunder. “It is a simple but slightly painful operation my boys. We have performed it on patients who were hurt similarly to you both by Americans. It simply is to help you both regain the basic knowledge about pretty much everything you need to know. For example…” the doctor stated as he pulled away and wandered over to a desk littered with papers. He fiddled with a drawer on the side, pulling out two silver objects.  
“Do either of you know what these are?” the doctor asked, producing two sharp silver metal items, one small and delicate, the other big and intimidating. Neither Yasha or Stepka knew what had been placed in front of them so shook their heads. “These my boys are knives, one for healing people, another for hurting. The procedure will help you both gain a basic understanding of everyday essentials and habits… information that you both have forgotten due to the nature of the torture those Americans left you in. it will help heal you both quicker. That is if you want to go through with it. I know this is a lot to take in now but we can perform it first thing in the morning to help you both recuperate quicker. Only if you both want that is.” The doctor said. 

Stepka and Yasha looked at one another before glancing towards the doctor. Stepka tapped out “Do you think it safe.” Into Yasha’s skin whilst Yasha replied with a hand gesture, “Doctor seems safe. Trust doctor.” Stepka gave Yasha a look and both men had their mind made up. They wished to remember every wonderful thing the doctor was telling them, they wished to find out what everything around them was and what it did. They didn’t want to fell so lost in this world. They returned to looking at the doctor, both nodding. 

“Oh my boys, of course. I shall get a team together for the procedure first thing in the morning.” He said clapping his hands together softly, there was joy written all over his face, like a caring father proud to know his sons are doing the right thing. “For now I’ll take you both to your rooms and have lieutenant Kolesova bring you both nutritional shakes and some sedatives to help you both get a good nights rest my boys.” He smiled as he got up, gesturing to the two that they should get up from the bed and follow him. 

The doctor stood beside the door and pulled the blankets tightly against Stepka and Yasha before he opened the door. Both men following him like ducklings down the corridor. They didn’t go too far, just followed the doctor to a set of stairs and followed him downward as he took them down to what seemed to be the bottom most layer of the base, easily two if not three floors down from his office. There both men followed the doctor into a vast empty chamber that seemed to span the height of the base, revealing three noticeable levels. The level they were on and two more above that. 

The ceiling towered over both and gave off a sense of awe in both men. They had never seen a ceiling as sharp and as rugged as it, dark natural stone with irregular cuts and juts replacing the bland grey concrete they remembered. It gave them both a sense of dark mystery. They walked past two large grey tarps that where sitting in the middle of the room, hiding something the size of a small car underneath each. But neither gaze lingered for long as they followed the doctor on, walking past two raised platforms at the back of the chamber with two large glass cylinders, each had what appeared to be some form of metal support with straps inside, getting them both to look at it curiously. It was slightly unsettling but neither of them worried. If that was the machine the doctor said would help them he would have told them surely.

They continued down the back of the chamber to a small corridor that had been isolated off from the rest of the chamber with a steel door. Down the corridor there were four smaller steel doors, one of which at the end of the corridor had a small shutter that looked to be wide enough to slip trays of food through. The doctor stopped in front of that door and slowly opened it.  
To the two men’s surprise, the room was covered in a cream coloured carpet with four walls covered in bright coloured wallpapers. There were two small wardrobes and two queen size beds separated by a dresser. There were two smaller bed side tables on the opposite side of the two beds and each had a small shelf underneath which held a few books and what looked to be personal items.  
“Here we are Stepka, Yasha. Your room, we sent word back to base before we boarded the plane, we had everything cleaned up. No one has been in your room since you went missing.” The doctor spoke up. Both Stepka and Yasha cautiously walked around the furnished room. They don’t recall ever having a room as warm and soft as this room. 

“There is a small bathroom through that door there my boys. Why don’t I run a bath and get you both freshened up.” The doctor said as his nurse, lieutenant Kolesova knocked on the door, entering with a tray containing two bright red cups of a familiar greyish paste that Yasha and Stepka recognized. However this one had a yellow tinge to it, as though there was something else mixed into it.  
“Here you are Stepka, Yasha, your nutrient booster. There the special shakes that where created for our top soldaty like yourself, it will help you rebuild your muscle mass and strength back. Those Americans had been feeding you something much weaker, letting you both starve.” The young nurse said with a sympathetic smile as she watched both soldaty look at the red cups. “These ones are full of the nutrients you both will need and taste like banana, your favorites.” She said with a small chuckle as they grabbed the cups, Yasha took a few sniffs of it whilst Stepka lowered a single metal digit of his right arm into the mixture; he licked the metal finger and quickly gave Yasha a nod as Stepka brought the cup to his lips. 

Stepka let out a happy sound as he took his first gulp of the liquid; it was flavorful, better than the ordinary grey paste he was used too. Yasha looked at him weirdly but took a drink from his own cup, his eyes widening in surprise as a smile filled his face. Both had the cups finished within a minute and placed them gently back onto the small tray Nurse Kolesova was carrying.  
“Done already boys? Ah good, I have the bath ready for you both. Hopefully by tomorrow evening you will both remember how to make yourself a bath. But it does not matter. I am happy to have both of my boys back. Now go strip off and get in there. I trust you will be able to wash yourselves?” the doctor said as he looked at the two men. “I’ll set out your pajamas for bed, both of you need plenty of rest after all and before tomorrow’s operation. Alright boys.” The doctor said, gently placing his hands around Stepka’s face and getting him to bend over, placing a small caring kiss on his forehead before letting go and doing the same for Yasha. 

The doctor and his nurse walked out of the room and gently closed the door behind them, hearing delighted sounds coming from the room as they left and walked down the corridor.  
“Your input was most welcomed lieutenant Kolesova, reassuring them both that we were not the enemy. I was worried about how they would react to the nutrient paste but your input has helped cement their minds.” The doctor spoke up as he closed the cell door behind him, locking the two soldaty into their room, a secret cell, plush and comfortable neither man would realize what it was.  
“A pleasure doctor, I am always happy to serve the Red Guard and Hydra.” The young nurse smiled back.  
“Ah my little lieutenant, If only more people had your faith, you have never failed me or the Red Guard, you are a beacon of what a young woman like your self should be like my dear. Go and have an early evening, we have plenty of work to begin in the morning my dear.” The doctor said with a gleeful smile as the nurse bowed and left his side. 

The doctor stood in the chamber and watched as she skipped off to the stairs, taking it up to the barracks to where her room was. As one of the few women on base they were provided with small rooms whilst the men slept in halls. The doctor moved past the two large glass and metal tubes in the room and stood in front of the two tarps from earlier. He smiled as he slowly removed the tarps and gestured to two soldiers standing guard to fold them away. Doctor Fennhoff smiled as he ran his fingers up and down the two identical metal chairs. Both gleaming under the spotlights with their restraints and shining silver halo’s connected to tens and tens of thick electrical cables. Both having been located in the middle of the room as both a powerful if a sick statement. There stood the thing that would keep the two soldaty will maintenance for years to come, ensure that they remain under the control of the doctor and who ever there future handlers are to be. 

They would not escape it. Maintenance was key to their success.


	9. Chapter 9: Now I am become death.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, due to lock down restrictions having been lifted in my region i have been spending more and more of my time seeing family, chapters will be published monthly if not twice monthly from chapter ten on wards. Thanks for being patient with me and for your continued support, for that i give you an extra long chapter.  
> i apologise if there is any grammatical errors that i have overlooked but please enjoy otherwise. this chapter may have ended up being quantity over quality but i assure you future chapters will be better laid out and checked before uploading.

A quiet groan slipped past tired lips as arms grasped tightly around the owners shoulders.  
Stepka gently burrowed his head further into Yasha’s chest as he fought against waking up, his face scrunched up in annoyance as he tried to fall asleep once again. His partner hugged him tighter and gave off a gentle snort as he woke up to Stepka’s squirming. Both where in the bed Yasha took as his own after he and Stepka got washed up and dried, changing into the soft cotton pyjama’s doctor Fenhoff had left out for them. Both of them curled up under the warm sheets of their own beds after they dried off with equally warm towels. A great luxury neither had known in the pit. Stepka had gone to lie down on his own bed for the night but after a while of tossing and turning he had gotten up and tapped at Yasha’s shoulder. Yasha gave a small smile as he lifted up his sheets and let the blonde shimmy in under the covers beside him. Yasha gave a small chuckle as Stepka curled up beside him, his head under Yasha’s and their legs intermixed like how they slept in the grey cell they had known for possibly years.  
Yasha nuzzled Stepka’s long pale blonde curls as Stepka slowly opened his eyes as he gave a cute little yawn followed by a grunt. Annoyed at having woken up from such a comfortable slumber. Yasha only nudged him and cuddled closer for a little while. It wasn’t long though that they remembered what the doctor had said.  
They had their operation this morning. A technical operation to help their minds heal against the damage done to them. To descramble there confused minds and give them back a basic structure and knowledge of every day utensils.  
Yasha slowly sat up on his bed and lifted Stepka up beside him nudging him. Stepka sighed and slowly moved to stand up beside the bed, Yasha jumping up beside him as they both slowly made their way to the small bathroom. Stepka turned on the taps and dropped the smallest towel into it and gently bringing it up to their faces. They did something similar in their cell with a small bit of ripped blanket, running it under the water spout they had. Only this time they both had delightfully hot water. It was comforting. 

When they had both cleaned themselves up and re-entered there room there they found Doctor Fenhoff waiting them.  
“There are my two boys, did you both sleep well?” he asked. Stepka and Yasha both gave small smiles and nodded at the doctor. “Ah that is good my boys, you are both looking so much better today after all that rest. We have everything ready for you both, you’ll only need trouser bottoms on boys, but you can take your blankets with you and wrap them around your shoulders as we leave the room.” The doctor smiled as he picked up the two bright red blankets strewn upon the foot of Yasha’s bed.  
Both men nodded and Stepka opened a wardrobe, pulling out two pairs of trousers, handing a set to Yasha. They nodded and quickly pulled them on, and grabbed for the boots they had been wearing the day before, to cover their feet.  
“Well boys, are you both ready to remember your past?” the doctor spoke up once more. They both looked at each other hesitantly, there nervousness coming fore front at the thought but there need to know who they are and where out weighted that caution. Stepka took Yasha’s hand and both nodded. “Excellent, this way boys. If we begin this now in the next hour it means we can have you both in training by tomorrow, to build up your lost muscles and for a good walk about. It will help with your rehabilitation.” Doctor Fennhoff finished. He opened up the door and began to walk out of it, the two young men followed behind him. There the doctor led them out into the large main chamber of the base and past the two cylinders of glass. They walked over to the two large metal chairs covered head to toe in restraints in the middle off the room. There two teams of five doctors and technicians, and a further ten soldiers behind them, stood as they awaited the two men. 

Stepka and Yasha looked warily upon the two chairs in front of them before flicking there view back over to the doctor. Both young men looked terrified upon gazing at the two metal monstrosities in the room, with their large metal halos connected to thick bundles of wiring and the chairs which looked like they could recline. Stepka quickly tapped against Yasha’s arm as he stood closer to his side, suddenly petrified. Yasha just looked in nervous fear at the chairs, slightly braver than Stepka. Yasha pulled Stepka behind him and took a step back away from the group. The doctor gave a quick bark of something in a language neither could recognise the moment he saw Stepka pull Yasha away from the group. 

Within seconds both felt a pinch on the back of their necks as lieutenant Kolesova appeared behind them. Both men quickly fell onto their knees as the soldiers came around and grabbed them. Stepka and Yasha where quickly losing the feelings in their limbs as they became limp from the injection. A sedative that caused their minds to become fuzzy and blank. Two soldiers stood beside each man and grabbed them by the arms, hauling them up off the floor and into their seats. The technicians quickly got to work, pushing both men back tight against the chairs as they quickly applied the restraints. Two technicians worked behind both men as well, not restraining them or anything but instead tying up Stepka’s long shoulder length hair into a low ponytail and pulling Yasha’s back into a small bun, keeping the majority of Yasha’s chin length hair out of the way. Within a few minutes both Stepka and Yasha where bound to the chairs and looked around in confusion as their sights settled on doctor Fennhoff. The sedative having begun to burn out of there systems already. Lieutenant Kolesova approached the pair of them and shoved hard plastic shields into their mouths.

“Begin with the programming.” The doctor said with a grim smile as he looked over the two methodically, without the same care he had shown them the day before.  
The twin chairs began to charge up as the seat moved into a slight reclined position as the two halos of metal began to whir and move into position, two plates of metal clamping tightly around both Stepka’s and Yasha’s heads.  
Both men gave one last confused look towards the doctor. He smiled darkly as the chair began to crackle with electricity as both chairs pivoted around at an angle, allowing both men to see each other bound to the metal monstrosities. The last thing Stepka and Yasha see is each other as their eyes are flooded with white blinding light and searing heat as electricity was unleashed onto the plates clamping their heads. 

They don’t hear their screams as everything turns black. 

Stepka awakes to a light moan coming from his right, he sighs as he pushes himself up into a sitting position.  
His eyes widen as he looks around the room. Yasha wasn’t next to him, causing him to whine in a panic as he looked frantically around the room. He stopped and gasped slightly as he set his eyes on Yasha sleeping peacefully on the bed beside him. Something was different though. 

He squinted at Yasha as flashes of a younger man ran through his head, laughing and talking in a different language than the doctor was speaking the day before, a language he suddenly understood. Stepka let out a strangled laugh/sob as he smiled. He remembered Yasha, his other half, flashes of him flickered to the forefront of his mind, a young child smiling at him and playing with him on a playground, standing up against bullies, chasing after girls, both of them going into military service, both of them training, flashes of what appeared to be combat. It hit Stepka all at once.  
Upon hearing the sob coming from the other bed in the room, Yasha woke with a start. He looked up realising Stepka wasn’t in bed with him, letting out a quiet whine as he pushed himself up from his bed. He was knocked down in a tackle as Stepka jumped on him. Yasha’s eyes went wide and a smile began to split his face as he saw flashes of a younger Stepka flicker to the fore front of his mind.  
“Y-Yas…Yasha.” Stepka spoke hoarsely, his voice rough and gravelly from time. Stepka’s face lit up brightly as he looked at his partner.  
“St-Step…. Stepka.” The brunette underneath him replied just as cheerfully as he reached around and pulled him in close for a hug.  
Both of them laughed as more and more flashes presented themselves, of their childhood, of a small town and then a city, flashes of the doctor came to their minds, of him drying there tears, raising them, feeding them, of him saluting them both. The doctors panicked face as he was moved into the back of a truck disappearing from Stepka and Yasha as explosions got closer. Of both of them calling him uncle as they picked up rifles and began to open fire. 

They both looked at each other in horror as they saw the scene replay in their heads. Stepka and Yasha just look at each other with haunted looks and just held each other as they shook with silent sobs. They stayed curled up around each other for what they assumed was a long time before they heard there door creek open slowly. There came the one man they remembered clearly, the man who had become a father to them if there memories where correct.  
“Stepka, Yasha?” he asked slowly, surprised to see both men awake already.  
“Doc-doctor Fennhoff… uncle...j-johann” Stepka croaked slowly as he and Yasha looked towards the man with adoring smiles.  
“Un-uncle Jo-Johann…” Yasha added as he spoke up, his voice just as dry and gravelly sounding.  
“Oh Stepka, Yasha.” The doctor said with a small joyful smile. “You remember, my dear boys, you remember.” He said as he sat down on their bed and pulled both of them into a hug. Stepka and Yasha instantly wrapped around the man and buried there faces in his neck. The doctor smiled as he rubbed the back of their heads, the ominous purple glow from his ring and eyes hidden from both the vulnerable men. “It’s okay now, your back with us, we’ll help you both heal and get stronger, everything went well this morning but I recommend you both rest. Those Americans will never harm you again or it will be there end. We will get you both into training again first thing tomorrow morning my boys. You will have the skills to avoid capture and the enemy and both of you will be stronger for it.” He said as he rubbed their heads. “Hail red guard, hail hydra.” The doctor spoke softly.  
“Hail red guard. Hail hydra.” Both young men replied, ignoring the feeling in the pit of their stomachs that this was wrong.

Next day-

Doctor Fennhoff arrived to both men’s rooms early, at 0500 in the morning. He had handed off an alarm to both Stepka and Yasha the night before and Yasha set it, so both men would be up. Yet he would be there just as early, carrying the two nutrient rich shakes both men would consume. Both Stepka and Yasha where excitedly awaiting him when the doctor arrived, both had dressed in the uniform the pair recognised as a training outfit, it was comprised of a white long sleeved thermal undershirt and khaki trousers with a simple pair of black leather shoes.  
“Good morning my dear Stepka and look at you Yasha, awake for a change my boy. You always had trouble getting up early, even after you boys shipped out.” he chuckled and handed them there shakes.  
“Doctor?” Yasha asked before Stepka spoke up, “Why shakes?”  
“Ah my boys, You both are special, you both volunteered for a program to enhance your bodies, your stronger, faster and more durable than an ordinary soldier, its why the Americans captured you both. There was a squadron of you boys and it was discovered that ordinary meals were not enough to keep you fit and healthy. These shakes fill you up better than multiple meals and they are easier to transport if you were on a mission.” The doctor said, “I know you both had similar when you were with the Americans but they had there’s chocked filled with nasty drugs to make you compliant, those have burned out of your systems and you have both made a great recovery from them.” The doctor said with a small smile as both young men drank there shakes.  
“Now come with me, the commander has given us usage of the gym until you’re ready to step up your training regimes.” The doctor said as he took the two empty cups back from both Stepka and Yasha. Both men looked excited to be able to stretch their legs and arms, the opportunity to exersize excited them both. 

After a five minute walk through the facility both men were introduced to a large gymnasium, one that had a large running track around the outside, with a large, tall obstacle course beside it that looped around the outside of it. In the middle of the running track in the space that wasn’t taken up by marked lines was equipment ranging from weights to rowing machines and pull up bars. Doctor Fenhoff points towards the track and tells them both to take a few laps around it first to stretch their legs that they could walk or jog around it. Stepka and Yasha nod at him and both begin to walk around the track, picking up the pace after a little bit before they both finish a third lap sprinting, trying to outdo one another. The doctor laughs at them as he waves them over to the weights, having them begin working on small heavy one handed weights to curl in there good flesh arms to see how they handle that before they would move onto the larger weight bars with both hands. Both men laughed with glee as they worked their way around everything, moving onto heavier weights as the day went on and running more laps around the track. 

It was so freeing compared to when they were trapped in that cold bland cell. They continued to do laps and use the equipment until late in the evening; there the doctor instructed them to do a lap of the obstacle course. Doctor Fennhoff laughed as he saw both of them come over to him, both sweaty, and tired but hap  
“Alright boys, for the next few weeks we’ll be here in the room building up your strength and Stamina. After that we will see where you both are at and then we will set you both up with an appropriate training regime.” Johann said with a proud smile as he escorted Yasha and Stepka back to their room for the night. 

There next few weeks continued similarly to this. They would wake up for 0500, doctor Fenhoff would arrive with their nutrient shakes, sometimes they were flavoured, and other times they were bland. Adding flavour risked the delicate balance of nutrients being unbalanced so they got a flavoured shake once a week. Sometimes it was Strawberry, other times Banana or plum, but one doctor Fennhoff produced one made with a fuzzy brown green fleshed fruit called a kiwi, a fruit from china. Stepka wasn’t sure of its flavour but Yasha loved it.  
Slowly but surely over the space of a month both men had built up there strength again and had a dense muscle mass built up. They had improved in there speed and endurance as well as their stamina. The doctor said they recovered so fast thanks to being super soldiers and the shakes. They had bulked up like a turkey for Christmas had over the course of a month and where ready for their first test. 

Both Stepka and Yasha were up for 0400 hours on the last day of the month. The commander, Karpov, wished to see how each man had come along. Doctor Fennhoff had come to their room early with Lieutenant Kolesova, whom had previously been with them for their weekly check-up. Today the lieutenant approached both men with a box that when opened contained two slim black bands.  
“Commander Karpov has requested that Kapitan Rogov, Serzhant Baranov wear these bands before arriving to training Doctor.” The young nurse said with a sad pitiful gaze towards both Stepka and Yasha. She avoided looking at them.  
“It is understandable… the commanders orders stand. Stepka, Yasha please… come here and let me place these bands on.” The doctor said as he picked up the first band. Yasha approached first, “Your flesh arm Yasha my boy. The same for you too Stepka.” The doctor spoke as Yasha looked down at his arms, metal and flesh before thrusting out his flesh right arm. Stepka thrusted out his left beside Yasha’s right immediately as Doctor Fennhoff wrapped the two bands of black metal around there wrists. It was tight against their wrists and would barely budge, only allowing a small leeway of movement, enough for full usage of their wrist. 

“Come my boys, we must not let commander Karpov wait for us forever. He doesn’t like tardiness and it would be best to avoid punishment. He believes it makes you stronger. Order through pain.” The doctor said as he, lieutenant Kolesova and the two young men made their way to the gymnasium that they had been using the past month. Both men ignoring the chairs that stood in the middle of the main chamber, neither of them knew exactly what they did, so neither paid any attention to it. 

All four of them made it to the still empty gymnasium with time to spare, commander Karpov was not here yet. Doctor Fennhoff instructed both men to take a few laps of the running track to warm up and to perform some stretches whilst they waited. At 0400 exactly commander Karpov arrived to the gymnasium armed and with a small squad of five soldiers. Stepka and Yasha immediately ran off from the track and stood upon a line doctor Fennhoff told them about earlier. Both men snapped into salutes and stood to attention as the commander approached.  
“Good morning Kapitan Rogov, Serzhant Baranov, it is good to see you are both well and pushing yourselves to return to service. The red guard praises your determination.” The commander said with a chuckle. Stepka and Yasha smiled proudly at that, not dropping from their stance but still smiling at their achievement. Only a month ago they could hardly walk, today they could run for hour’s non-stop in a mild sprint. “However Kapitan Serzhant, we are here today to see how your training has progressed neither of you will leave this room unless you have passed or drop unconscious. If you fail those bands on your wrists will administer a strong electrical current.” The commander said, causing panic in both Stepka and Yasha as they looked at the metal bands on their wrists. 

“It is there to iron out any flaws you may have in training and kick any bad habits you may pick up early; it is better a shock now in training than a bullet on a mission. The pain you endure now will save you from pain later.” The commander said as Yasha and Stepka looked on at the commander with slight looks of fear. They had no time to react as the commander gave them there next order.  
“Kapitan, Serzhant, you are to begin running loops around the track, when you complete one loop of the track you are to do a run of the obstacle course and return to the beginning of the track, there you will continue to run until I say stop.” The commander said and pointed to the starting line. Stepka and Yasha, with the fear of receiving an electric shock quickly took their marks at the line indicated by two of the soldiers who were with their commander. Stepka and Yasha where placed two hundred meters away from one another with Yasha in front of Stepka. Both of them where running off the baseline training they remembered.  
“Begin.” The commander yelled and both men took off running, within moments both men on the track had settled into a regular pace around the track, one which was a mild sprint but allowed them to cover more ground for longer.  
Yasha and Stepka soon both settled into a similar pace, with Yasha leading the way two hundred meters in front of Stepka. They began to wiz past the soldiers, the commander, lieutenant Kolesova and of course doctor Fennhoff as they moved throughout the gymnasium. It only took a felt like a few minutes before Stepka and Yasha completed their first run, expecting the commander to tell them to stop. He didn’t, and for fear of being electrocuted both men kept running.  
And running. 

And running. 

Stepka and Yasha where beyond tired at this stage, the light from the few slits in the stone that showed the outer valley showed that they sun had risen and set a long time ago. There was a clock on the wall above there commander but with the pace both men were running at meant that neither could see the clock, it became an unreadable blur as they raced passed it. By what they assumed was the twenty fourth hours, as the sun had begun to rise once again, Both men were tired out and felt like dropping. Blisters where beginning to form on the soles of their feet and their arms felt like lead. 

Yasha was the first to drop as Stepka continued to push on, struggling himself as he neared Yasha. The commander had other ideas. The moment Yasha dropped onto his knees Stepka fell beside him screaming as the band on his left arm lit up. Shocking him.  
“Stepka!” Yasha yelled as he leaned over his friend he barely managed to hold his tears.  
“START RUNNING YAKOV OR I WILL CONTINUE TO SHOCK HIM.” Karpov roared at the man. Yasha in shock pushed himself up and took off once again. Each step radiating agony, but he pushed through that, for Stepka. 

Stepka slowly pushed himself up as the shock stopped. He panted heavily as he watched Yasha disappear off to the obstacle course. He flinched when Karpov turned to face him. “STEPAN IF YOU ARE NOT RUNNING BY THE TIME YAKOV COMES AROUND HE WILL BE SHOCKED NEXT, DO YOU UNDERSTAND SOLDAT!”  
“Sir yes Sir.”  
Stepan pushed up and began running once again when Yasha returned around, leaving around one hundred meters gap between the pair of them. This time Yasha was trailing behind Stepka.  
They continued running until the sun had fully risen and was beginning to set once more. This time Yasha watched in utter exhaustion as Stepka began to wobble and shake his head. He had nearly caught up to Stepka, nearly side by side. Both of them where utterly exhausted and Yasha wondered which one of them would drop first. Yasha kept running even when his eyes began to droop and he had slowed down considerably. He had been wobbling just as much as Stepka had been. The difference was Stepka had been electrocuted hours before that.  
The answer came soon enough as Stepka face planted into the floor. Unable to run any further. Yasha collapsed and screamed as he was electrocuted but Stepka didn’t get up, he barely moved. Yasha saw the doctor pushing at the commander as his vision began to blacken. The last thing he saw was the doctor and Lieutenant Kolesova approach then both with some soldiers as he fell into blissful sleep next to Stepka. 

“They are unconscious Commander, they’ve run themselves exhausted.” The doctor chuckled as he checked both unconscious men over before looking back at the young commander.  
“Not bad doctor for one month’s fitness training. I told you the shock would work, Herr Zola was correct; punish one the other falls into line quickly. They will be easy to mould now that they have their implanted memories and triggers.”  
“They rebound quickly with the right nutrients and guiding hand Vasily. They have been running over 36 hours, and at an average pace of near 90miles an hour both of them have clocked over 3240 miles. That’s easily half of the republic my boy. They are marvels, gods made human and they are ours.”  
“Imagine the damage they would have made if they had been found by the capitalist pigs in America.”  
“Agh, they would have spoiled them, let them grow rusty and fat, or worse, as agents of Carters intelligence agency.”  
“Ah yes, the English woman, wasn’t she close with the pair.” The commander spoke as he waved to the soldiers who began to pick up both unconscious men and followed the procession down the hall, taking both men back to their room.  
“Madam Carter is a clever one Karpov and resourceful. Do not underestimate her, she trained the men for project rebirth, you will find that Shield will become one of our greatest rivals in time.”  
“Yes, but it will be rotted to the core when it falls.” The commander laughed  
“Then it will be a good thing we will have our winter, they will take down every remaining agent that isn’t hydra as we conquer the world, all it is now my boy, is a waiting game.” The doctor said as they left the soldiers who continued to drag the two limp bodies down the ways off to their cell.  
“Then it is a good thing that they have shown themselves ready to move onto the next stage in training doctor. There new schedule will be as followed. 0600-0900 will be morning exercise in the gymnasium, like you had been previously performing over the past month. 0900-1200 will be there ballet lessons and gymnastics, they will need to be more graceful, they were jumping off those obstacles like elephants, which will need to be corrected. 1200-1500 will be shooting range, 1500-1800 will be hand to hand combat and stealth, 1800-2100 will for now be dedicated to transport, such as learning to fly and drive numerous vehicles and operate larger army machine. In two months we will interchange this out with night training.” The commander smiled as he looked at the doctor.  
“That’s good, they will be diligent enough, they have the information and basic programming there, implanted in their minds, now it is just the muscle memory they need to focus on.” Doctor Fennhoff chuckled; his boys had done him proud. Everything was going to work out easily. 

1 year later.

Stepka and Yasha reported to the gymnasium by 0600 for their 3 hours of refined training. They had been doing this for over a year now since they had passed their commanders first exam.  
Doctor Fennhoff had treated them the day after the exam as they had been told the previous day that they had passed and had passed out at the end of their exam. Both were rewarded with a chocolate shake. Both men looked pleased with one another but that pleasure was quickly put aside when they realised they still had the shock bands on their wrists. They knew they had to work there hardest now to ensure the other didn’t get harmed. They knew that they would need to work harder to receive such luxuries in the future.

There morning gymnastic training did not change as much as they had expected but they were introduced to newer and harder obstacles on the course that they needed to train for. This provided them a gentle warm up to the rest of the day’s tasks and helped refine their physiques more and more until they were both bulky power houses as the weeks turned into months. There physiques matched the large physique of their prosthetics and both became very intimidating in there stature alone. 

The dance classes where an anomaly to Stepan, yet Yakov took to them like he had been born on the dance floor. Stepka waited to hear Yasha’s screams of pain those first few lessons as he struggled with many of the basic dances. He was only spared by their kind instructor, an elderly man who had lost his own sons and grandsons to the wars. He explained to Stepka that he needed to build up his confidence, that he was letting his self-esteem hold him back. A few words of encouragement seemed to be all he needed as he soon caught up to Yasha’s level. Both trained in not only ballet, but dances that many rich capitalists would dance. The gymnastics was much harsher, and for some reason all of Yasha confidence disappeared, this led to Stepka being punished a few times as there gymnastics instructor was a patriotic middle aged woman who wasn’t afraid to give them punishments for their lack of grace. As the weeks and months went on in there training they grew more graceful and light footed. The punishments stopped but there was always the risk. They followed there instructions without haste and complied for the good of their partner. 

The worst of their training was the shooting ranges. Both men had been punished numerous times for the slightest mistake. There trainer was a female lieutenant who had become one of the most feared snipers during the war. She hated both men and would punish them for even the slightest mistake. There instructor took them out in all-weather to teach them to snipe, shoot and build their weapons. Whether it was in the freezing cold snow, rain or sleet that seemed to engulf the area all year long. They always returned to base with ice coating there eyelashes and long hair. 

Combat and stealth lessons was different, there trainer was strict and both were shocked a few times but they loved there combat classes. They started on contact martial arts such as muya Thai, karate, taekwondo and judo. They were slowly shown more westernised combat such as boxing, krav maga, wrestling and kick boxing. They became very efficient in hand to hand combat before they were both trusted with a weapon of any sorts. Doctor Fennhoff said they both had unique weapons they had liked to carry previously before they were captured, and that he had recovered them after operatives in America raided a base where they had been kept, used as propaganda tools for their own soldiers. After both had become highly skilled with knives, batons and other close quarters weapons the doctor produced two boxes one day. There instructor said that both used to use their weapons separately but said they would be deadlier if they learned to share them. Stepka and Yasha opened there boxes with excitement for once. They were being rewarded for their improvements in training. 

Stepka opened up his box and it revealed a large round black shield with a silver star in the middle, a reflection of the red star on his and Yasha’s arms. Yasha upon seeing the shield opened his box with ecstatic glee, revealing two large sixteen inch paired daggers. Both young men looked delighted with their weapon and spent hours upon hours being drilled in using them and encouraged to create their own style of using them. Stepka took to flinging his shield and having it return to him with a nifty little magnetic attachment made for his arm to sit like a gauntlet, whilst Yasha had a holster for his daggers that attached to the back of his tactical belt. Stepka and Yasha soon mastered the use of the shield, ricocheting it off pillars and trees and walls. Memories of a different time however flickered in not only his head but Yasha’s as well. Like the shield was painted wrong, flickers of red and blue where there is black and silver. It made no difference; perhaps the Americans who had tortured them painted and showed them the shield during their capture. 

There final orders of the day were there motor pool lessons, where they learned to operate numerous vehicles, from small motorcycles and cars all the way to tanks, and even how to fly planes. It was there cool down for the evening. The one time they wouldn’t receive a shock for failure, it would only cause distraction and risk not only injury to either Stepka and or Yasha but threatened the destruction of perfectly useable vehicles. It was a time where they could relax and burn off any excess adrenaline from there days activities before reporting to doctor Fennhoff for their evening shakes, injections and then to their quarters for rest before repeating all the next day. 

Throughout this time both men became more compliant and withdrawn into themselves, both where drilled into becoming ruthless and relentless powerhouses. Unstoppable in the face of their enemy’s. They listened to doctor Fennhoff and there trainers and followed all orders given to them. They became better, stronger, faster, and deadlier. Able to fight off numerous soldiers at a time when tested. Drawing a stalemate with one another during combat tests that lasted for hours. They trained and they trained until fighting was not a choice but a reaction. They spent more and more time with commander Karpov watching them, ordering them along with their trainers during their combat and shooting lessons. They didn’t hesitate upon shooting men who were called deserters, traitors and spies; the one time they did the commander flashed the remote which would send shocks through both men. They had killed there target before he even pressed the button, with no regret or remorse. The other was more important to them than the life of the man they killed. And killed they did. Until it was nothing more than a reflex.

They held two or three test run missions into Russia’s newly gained territories in Eastern Europe, taking down a spy ring here, a rebel base there. Many men fell to both the shield and twin blades, to their bullets that rained hell from both near and far. There final test was to kill an American commander in Korea, first lieutenant Dugan, a liaison officer between the us army and shield leading an undercover investigation into rumours of the Ussr supplying the north Koreans with weapons.  
Stepka and Yasha are dressed by numerous technicians, told that there uniform required a few helping hands to put on, a uniform designed for super soldiers like they were. Both where fitted with light black cotton shirts and matching black underwear, and fitted with thick black socks that would keep the cold of the concrete floor from affecting them. Then they were shimmied into padded black tactical trousers which were secured around them with thick heavy tactical belts and reinforced kneepads. The belt was attached to holsters which were secured around there thighs. Each could hold numerous knives and guns whilst their belts themselves where being outfitted with numerous knives, grenades, pistols, ammunition.  
Then there tactical flak jackets where placed on them, made from layers of Kevlar, leather and other bullet proof materials which was zipped up tightly and then additional straps where pulled tightly across their chests and torsos. Making the jacket sit snuggly, if not tightly against them. They were secured even tighter with two identical harnesses that wrapped around there shoulders to their backs and connected to a band going across their chests tightly. The jackets themselves only had one sleeve, Yasha’s had one leather sleeve on his right arm, whilst Stepka’s covered his left, concealing there flesh arms and showing off the bright shining metal arms which where weapons them with just the strength both could produce alone. They were given a set of padded fingerless gloves to put on as technicians began to put on their boots, lacing them up and tying them before applying the thick heavy buckles to them, pulling them tightly. One technician began to pull part of Stepka’s long blond hair behind his head into a pony tail whilst two more applied grease paint around both men’s eyes as doctor Fennhoff moved towards them. 

“How utterly terrifying. You boys look perfect. Now just the final touch.” The doctor said as he picked up a muzzle like mask, gently placing it over yasha’s lover jaw, concealing his mouth and nose, a technician clipped it together at the back and lifted his long hair over the edges of the mask whilst the doctor did the same for Stepka, placing the mask over the blonds lover jaw and nose as the technician who tied his hair up clipped it around the back of his head, securing the mask in place.  
Finally they were given there last few weapons, an ak47 each and a scoped Mosin-Nagant M91/30 each along with their own signature indestructible weapons. The shield and daggers having been made from a rare metal that could absorb vibration and redirect the energy outward to its edges allowing them to ricochet off walls and targets or kill with ease. Both were flown to the Korean border from there base. There they took two motorcycles, as they were best suited for off roads to the location of the target. They were being shadowed by a team of elite operatives from the Red Guard, and monitored by their handler commander Karpov. It didn’t take too long once they got to the northern border of Korea for them to sneak into the country. Within twelve hours they had located there target and where on their way to take him out.  
Both men had snuck into his officer’s room and waited for him to return to it for the night. Their target returned to his room intoxicated late in the evening, carrying a picture in his hand. He startled upon seeing Yasha standing in the dark corner. Stepka slit his throat before he got the chance to scream for help or raise a firearm. Lieutenant Dugan was bleeding to death on the floor, the photo long forgotten and covered in blood. Yasha planted the bomb he had been given and he and Stepka quickly left the way they came, through the window. The bomb went off destroying part of the building and giving both men an ample distraction, allowing them both to disappear off into the night. All that was left of the room was a burnt body, rubble and a bloodied photo of seven good friends.  
Stepka and Yasha reported to Karpov within two hours and the group of operatives where on their way back to base. 

Stepka and Yasha reported to the main chamber of the base when they returned to Siberia. There the technicians stripped them of their weapons and tactical gear and replaced it with rubber suits with wires funning through them. Another technician cleaned up around there faces and removed the greasepaint from around there eyes. Both stood to attention when doctor Fennhoff and commander Karpov returned.  
“You have done a great service today my boys, I could not be any prouder of you. A year ago both of you were found battered and malnourished in a prison cell, today you have taken your revenge. I am a proud parent today, to see how far you both have come.” The doctor spoke as he stood beside Karpov.  
“Congratulations kapitan Rogov, serzhant Baranov, today you have passed your test and have completed your training. You are re-instated to the Red Guard and have been given new code names, code name: winter soldier, alias kapitan, alias serzhant. You will do many great feats for Russia in the years to come. All that remains is your induction ceremony.” The commander said as he waved his hand. The technicians behind both men moved but they stayed still, dare they bring their commanders wrath. Both men were startled when they felt a jab in there shoulder but quickly recovered, if only for a moment before both got weaker and tired. They had been sedated. 

The men where grabbed by the technicians and sat down in the two twin metal chairs in the middle of the cavern. The technitans quickly moved to restrain them before either man knew what was happening. Restraining them to the twin chairs with heavy leather and metal restraints all the while opening two identical panels upon each metal arm. Connecting it to two long jump leads of sorts that where connected to two large moveable computers the size of a man. A set for each arm, for yasha’s left and Stepka’s right.  
“Prepare the cryo chambers, they will need to be ready for when both assets have been wiped and reset.” Doctor Fennhoff shouted as two technicians moved away from the chairs the two men were strapped to, to the two large metal tanks in the background. Within a few minutes both chambers had begun to billow out a thick freezing fog from the vents opened in the bottom, a narrow gap to allow continuous flow of air to prevent the equipment from frosting over before either asset was placed into it.  
“Do not panic boys; this is just your induction ceremony to the Red Guard. We are just running maintenance on your arms and of course wipe your memories.” Doctor Fennhoff smiled as he stood in front of Stepka and placed a rubber mouth guard into his jaw. Yasha wined as he watched the doctor push the rubber guard into Stepka’s mouth. His sight of Stepka and the doctor was blocked as commander Karpov moved into view and grabbed his jaw, forcing it opened.  
“Say ahh serzhant Baranov.” The commander sneered as he placed a rubber guard into yasha’s mouth. The brunette bit into it as the commander moved backwards out of the way allowing him to look upon Stepka again.  
“Excellent, begin the wipe.” The doctor smiled as the commander moved to stand beside him, grabbing a small red leather book.  
Stepka and Yasha fought against their restraints as they heard the metal halos powered up as the plates swung over there face. This had happened before, they remembered as the plates covered the left side of their face and as they heard the whine of electricity powering through the machines. The chairs moved to recline backwards, causing both men to whine and cry out against the mouth guards.

Doctor Fennhoff and commander Karpov watched as both men started screaming as the chairs began to wipe their minds. Volts of electricity conducted through their heads. They watched for a full hour before the wipe cycle was up and commander Karpov opened up his book near the end of the wipe. He began to run down a list of twenty words, Stepka’s dormant triggers first, then yasha’s, as both men finished there wipe and the metal plates around there faces where moved away. The convulsing men soon became wound tightly as each trigger was said, they breathed heavily but both looked completely blank as they looked at their superior.  
“Good evening soldaty.” Karpov chuckled as he looked upon the two men in the chairs.  
“Ready to comply.” They both blankly replied as they looked at their commander with blank dead eyes. They had done it, a years’ worth of psychotics, drugs, and regular hypnotism tying to the triggers had worked.  
“Protocol ice bath; make your way to your chambers.” The commander spoke as the restraints where released. Stepka and Yasha wordlessly stood up, complying with the order and turned to walk towards the two steel chambers behind the chairs.  
Stepka and Yasha wordlessly walked towards the two chambers, each stepping towards the tube closest to their chair. Both climbing the steps up the platform upon which both chambers where built upon. They were opened in a manner that allowed each other to see themselves as they approached. Both stepped into the cold chambers and turned around to face one another as the technicians began to push them backwards into a frame covered in restraints and cables. They were secured to the frame by the technicians as they connected cables up to large round ports on the rubber suits each was wearing.  
Doctor Fennhoff approached both chambers holding the two muzzle masks both men had been wearing earlier. He handed them off to the technicians who secured them back around there heads, securing not only the masks, but each man’s heads to the head rest on the support frame. They were both given one last injection through there flesh shoulders, causing their eyes to droop and their bodies to relax within seconds. Both doctor Fennhoff and commander Karpov moved back as they signalled the technicians. Everyone moved back away from the chambers and towards a control panel.  
“Good night soldaty.” Karpov smiled as the chambers closed. 

Yasha and Stepka’s eyes opened wide as the chamber echoed with a loud bang as it closed and was sealed shut. They were encased in freezing fog, numbing there extremities in seconds as the cold seeped higher through there chamber. Liquid helium began to fill the chamber from the bottom up. Within seconds the liquid was above their ankles, another ten seconds and it was well above their knees and rising quickly and their bodies began to go slack. Whether it was hypothermia setting in or the sedative injection. Both looked at each other one last time through the thick glass portholes, there images becoming distorted as frost and ice climbed its way over the glass, before they succumbed to the cold and shut their eyes. Everything fading to black as they froze solid inside there metal coffins. 

Immortalized in ice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Bucky within a day of landing at the Siberia base, the day after they where rescued from the pit are placed in the wipe chairs. they have had there mind wiped clean of any potential memories that might be from before the pit, and then have there brains programmed with there many triggers and sleeper codes, they also have false memories imprinted into there heads and have chemical imprints to make them loyal to there handler preformed during the wipe operation. Both are rendered unconscious for the procedure. They are given basic programming that they will react to and follow and there protocols for missions and debriefings. 
> 
> There first month after the operation is them receiving basic training to build up there lost muscle mass and help them both bulk out in muscle. to give them the super soldier physique that is expected for them to have. After the month is over they are given a test to see about moving them towards there training program. they pass the test by showing that they have returned to a resonable level of physical fitness for enhanced super soldiers. 
> 
> There new time table for training is as follows  
> 0600- morning warm up in the gymnasium.  
> 0900- dancing and gymnastics lessons to improve there flexiblity, grace and stealthiness.  
> 1200- shooting range and shooting lessons.  
> 1500- hand to hand combat, weapons combat and stealth lessons.  
> 1800-motor pool, where they learn mechanics and how to drive, fly and operate artillery and vechiles.  
> 2100- evening shakes and down time to do what they want, such as relax and read a book, early to bed or exersize in the gym until lights out at 0000 hours. 
> 
> There final test before they are placed in cryo as fully functioning assets is to travel to Korea and assassinate there old team mate Dum-dum Dugan who was acting as a liaison officer between the army and shield. He was deployed to Korea with shield and was to relay information between shield intelligence and the army. Dum-Dum spots Bucky hiding in the shadows of his officers room whilst steve slits his throat. they bomb that area of the building making it look like accidental ordinance discharge. the photo dum dum was carrying was a photo of all the commandos including Steve and Bucky. 
> 
> Clean slate protocol- mind wipes and asset resets.  
> Ice bath protocol- both assets are to restrain themselves and proceed to there assigned cryo tube. They are to allow technitians to strap them in and sedate them and sleep as they are placed in cyrogenic stasis. The process takes just under one minute to freeze both men solid and take six hours to defrost them.


	10. Chapter 10: all the dead see are ghosts.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summoned to the Kremlin upon his successes Karpov waits patiently for his audience with the man responsible for allowing the K.G.B's Leviathan division permission to work with hydra.  
> Word had quickly spread about the mission to Korea. Anyone who killed a member of the infamous howling commandos squadron from world war two was praised. many would have thought killing a member of the Captain america's special operations squadron would be easy.  
> Word that Karpov and his newest operatives took out one said commando spread through the K.G.B like wildfire and echoed around the halls of the Kremlin palace.  
> Years of work conditioning the assets and training them had accumulated to this day. The day that Premier Stalin would grant the red guard permission to continue using their top secret assets and operatives. 
> 
> "Commander Karpov, Premier Stalin will see you now." A young guard spoke as he exited the leaders office, saluting the revered commander.  
> Karpov nodded and stood up, taking a sharp breath before pushing open the door before him. It was time to reap the success of years of hard work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise if i have gotten any of the Russian in this chapter incorrect, I don't speak Russian and I know that not every translation site or software will lead to a correct translation. I have this problem with my own second language, Irish where certain translation sites don't give the correct translation. I also apologise for any mistakes i have made such as Stalin and his correct title if i have made any. 
> 
> this chapter contains discussions of violence, torture, assassinations and murder performed by both Winter soldiers. Also mentions of child abduction. Proceed with caution.

Moscow, Kremlin. 1951.

“Commander Karpov, it’s a pleasure to see you back. Your recent successes with the red guard call for a celebration.”  
“Ah my glorious premier, I thank you for the opportunity you presented me with. Your faith in the Red Guard has been rewarded with two superior assets to the union. The Americans are at a loss as to how they have lost their footing in Korea. If either asset was going to fail then they would have done so in the presence of one of their old friends.” The young commander spoke.  
“Excellent. You have my permission to use the sleeping American dogs as our assets for as long as necessary. However, I expect there identities to remain a secret to all but ourselves. Only Doctor Zola, Doctor Fennhoff, myself and yourself shall know of the assets true names. Eliminate anyone else who knows, they will only be known to future commanders and leaders of the state as there alias’ Johann gave them. Not as the Americans they were.”

“Only the fifty top soldiers of the red guard know about the kapitan and the serzhant. There is only however Doctor Fennhoff assistant, lieutenant Kolesova that I cannot be sure about. She was a nurse in the war and was elemental in her observation and was a key in breaking down the soldiers, shall she be eliminated as well my glorious leader?”  
“…Hmm… If doctor Fennhoff believes she is trust worthy then I trust Johann’s judgement, but have her under constant watch, even if she leaves the army to get married. The same for all the soldiers who know about the assets. At the first sign of insubordination or treason that risks the winter kapitan and winter serzhant’s identities you must have the Red Guard eliminate the person risking their security immediately. If they are married, eliminate any spouse, any young children; take them for the Red Guard and red room programs. Older children shall be taken only if they submit, if they fight, execute them. Any sons will be raised as loyal Red Guard soldiers, any daughters as red room spies. Understood Karpov.” Joseph Stalin instructed as he took a glass of wine into his hands. 

“Of course premier Stalin. All loose end will be taken care of when they begin to fray.” The young commander said as he raised his own glass.  
“What ever happened to the shock collars that had been mentioned in earlier reports?” the leader asked as he looked at the commander.  
“It was decided they would damage the assets. The wires connecting the arms to their nervous system run through the base of their necks and are wired into their brains. The close proximity was a worry. The use of the shock collars risked damaging those wires so we resorted to shock bracelets on their good arms. It got the job done in the end however.” The commander chuckled as he took a long sip of wine.  
“Well then, with that sorted, would you like to get down to business?” the elder man said as he handed off a large file. Karpov flicked through it to see a list of targets and the recent Intel on them, targets all throughout Eastern Europe to the Middle East and beyond.  
“With pleasure.” Karpov smiled as he closed the file.

Siberia. 

Cold fog permeated around the floors of the large chamber inside the carefully hidden base built into the lone mountain that stood standing solemnly in the middle of the tundra. The base however, unlike its surroundings was not gentle and quiet but filled with the loud whines and high pitched buzzes of electricity and the screams of two men. 

Karpov stood before both men as there wipe cycle neared its end. The clean slate protocol, both assets wiped before cryo to rid them of unnecessary memories and the clean slate protocol for after cryo to remove any cobwebs from their heads. After the first few wipes conducted upon the winter soldiers it was decided that the kapitan would begin his wipe two minutes before the serzhant. He opened the small red leather book in his hands to what would appear to anyone to be completely at random. He ran a finder down the two lists of random words before he looked up at the two men before him. He smiled as he began to speak as the first of the two wipe cycles came to an end as one man’s screams began to temper off. 

“Желание,(Zhelaniye/Desire);  
Вывернул, (vyvernul/wrenched);  
Восемнадцать, (vosemnadtsat'/eighteen);  
заход солнца, (zakhod solntsa/sunset);  
морозилка, (morozilka/freezer);  
девять, (devyat'/nine);  
драчливый, (drachlivyy/pugnacious);  
воссоединение, (vossoyedineniye/reunion);  
один, (odin/one);  
валькирия, (val'kiriya/Valkyrie);  
Kapitan?” 

“Ready to comply” the blonde man hoarsely replied as he looked towards his commander with his dead eyed stare, made all the more terrifying by the dark circles around his eyes shining brightly against the pale porcelain white skin. The commander smiled at him darkly before he looked towards the other man still screaming through his own wipes, the serzhant. He looked towards the technicians beside the other chair and awaited there signal. The head technician nodded when the cycle entered its final minute. 

“желание, (zhelaniye/longing);  
" Ржавый, (Rzhavyy/rusted);  
Семнадцать, (Semndtsat/Seventeen);  
Рассвет, (rassvet/Daybreak);  
Печь, (pech/Furnace);  
Девять (Devyat’s/nine);  
, Добросердечный, (dobroserdechnyy/Benign);  
Возвращение на родину, (vozvrashcheniye na rodinu/homecoming);  
Один, (Odin/one);  
Товарный вагон. (gruzovoy vagon/freight car);  
Serzhant?” the commander finished as he snapped his book closed, folding it under his arm.

“Ready to comply.” The brunet said huskly, he gave the commander the same dead eyed stare that his blond partner shared with him.  
“Welcome back Kapitan Rogov, serzhant Baranov. The winter soldaty are needed, your mission is assassination.” The commander said as the restraints on both metal chairs where released.  
“Ready to comply.” Both men said as they stood to attention.

Both men where undressed from there rubber cryo suits in the middle of the main chamber and into their tactical gear. Then they were given their choice between numerous knives, guns and grenades, with knives and guns being stored in every available sheath and holster on their harnesses and belts and grenades in there pockets and of course there special weapons. They then packed up as many weapons and rounds of ammunition into two rucksacks for extra fire power and any other ordinance they usually received for missions. Snipers for clean assassinations from a distance, explosives for destruction, poisons for slow natural deaths, daggers for information grabs where they would have to take a package or information off their target and leave him bleeding out, Garrotte wires for kidnapping and interrogations with sedative vials or the kills that are to make a statement. The final weapons they were usually given was the black shield to the kapitan and the paired daggers to the serzhant. A familiar stage in their mission preparation before they got to read over the file. It was a similar protocol for when they got back in base, hand over any packages and information, store weapons, debrief, change back into their cryo gear, engage the clean slate protocol to wipe all information on the mission from their minds, then finish with the ice bath protocol. 

1951

June 23; Red Guard mission: escort British diplomats Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean carrying vital information on capitalist’s development of atomic weapons to USSR. Tracked down to a safe house on the outskirts of London, travel to Cornwall, steal a fishing boat and set sail to France at night, steal a car and make their way to Germany. Plant evidence of different path used and different method of travel when fleeing. Where upon entering the country they would rendezvous with their handler in the north east of the country behind Russian lines. Mission successful. 3 mi6 spies assassinated, diplomats delivered to Moscow safely. Reported to handler, debriefed and stored away for future use. 

July 20; hydra mission: King Abdullah I of Jordan is assassinated while attending Friday prayers in Jerusalem. Cause unrest amongst the population and raise political tensions in the Middle East. Mission successful. 

August 4; Red Guard mission; eliminate African team that slipped into Russian Siberia. Operatives are from Wakanda and are investigating the missing shipment of vibranium that was taken for the serzhant’s daggers. Team of ten wakandan spies, highly dangerous, near equal match to our soldaty. Mission successful. Further noted, no missions will take place that require entering Wakanda, the country appears to be holding many dangerous secrets which could lead to the destruction of the USSR. Many advanced weapons seen that worries myself and Doctor Zola. No further missions will revolve around Wakanda until we are at a technological level equal or greater than their own.

September 24; red guard mission; Provide extra muscle and escort Premier Stalin to north eastern Siberia to a nuclear test site. USSR performs nuclear test. Mission successful. 

October 16; joint hydra and Red Guard mission; 1st Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan, is assassinated by Said Akbar in Rawalpindi. Meet Said Akbar and escort him to the target, plant evidence, assassinate the prime minister, leave Said to take fall and make way to Uzbekistan for rendezvous. Mission successful.

November 28; hydra mission; Provide assistance to a Military coup under Col Adib el-Shishakli in Syria. Remain hidden, plant evidence against former government officals, stir up trouble and rendezvous with handler in Uzbekistan. Mission successful.

1952 

January 26; hydra mission; raise tensions in Egypt and assassinate British agent investigating string of illegal mining. Hydra mine that contains a few tens of kilograms of rare metal ore believed to be vibranium at risk. At least 20 people have been killed and 100s injured during riots in Cairo against the British, three victims to the soldaty, British agent and two witnesses. Mission successful, victims believed to have been caught up in riots.

March 10; joint hydra and Red Guard mission; assist in Military coup led by General Fulgencio Batista in Cuba, remain hidden, plant evidence of corruption, assassinate three lover government officals and two higher government officals. Rendezvous in north Brazil with handler and assisting team. Mission successful. 

March 27; Red Guard mission; cover up failed assassination attempt of West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer by red room black widow. Track down and Escort black widow back to Russia with force. Punish failed operative and execute her. Noted interference from American capitalist intelligence agency Shield, director Margret Carter identified as high danger threat due to previous encounters with black widow operative Dottie underwood. Dottie Underwood has allied herself with Carter and gone rogue, No attempts to assassinate, to close a watch between either women for an assassination to go unnoticed. Soldiers are not to be sent after either woman. No further orders around the woman our guards call “the agent”. Doctor Fennhoff is aware that he will need to return to Russia, a decoy has been sent in his place to pretend to be him; Doctor Zola made us aware of the situation. Mission successful.

Aug 20; red guard mission; escort Soviet leader Joseph Stalin meets Chinese premier Zhou Enlai, protect from enemy assassins and escort the Russian premier around china and back to Moscow. Mission successful.

1953

January 15; Red Guard mission; release evidence against 15 East Germany purges senior officials, accused of spying for 'imperialistic powers' and plotting against the state. Oversee transfer of 15 officials to prison in Moscow. 3 killed during transport for attempting to escape and attacking the guards. One injury, superficial, kapitan took bullet to the shoulder protecting serzhant, no vitals injured, and time given to allow both soldiers to heal from injury before cryo. Old quarters given to both assets. Kapitan healed after twelve hours. Mission successful.

March 5; red guard mission; protect and oversee the transfer of premier Stalin’s body and eliminate traitors in the leaders inner circle who aid to sell U.S.S.R secrets. Ensure Georgy Malenkov is protected from immediate coops or political assassination attempts. Kill all who wish to see the new leader killed. 7 inner circle members killed, 45 spies and traitors killed, 3 assassination attempts thwarted. Mission successful.

March 27; Red Guard mission; Escort doctor Johann Fennhoff to red room training facility in the Białowieża Forest. Perform a test against the latest class of Black widow operatives. Execute failures. Oversee doctor Fennhoff’s move to base for future operations. Class of 24 black widow operatives classified as too high a risk and not loyal to the KGB, all 24 executed after failing tests set by doctor Fennhoff and against the soldiers. Doctor Fennhoff will oversee the development of the newer classes and oversee a change in training regimes. Furthermore he will monitor Alexei Shostakov, leader of the red room and report back on his actions, if he is failing his duty he will be executed. Mission successful.

June 17; joint hydra and Red Guard mission; Riots in East Germany for reunification, execute perpetrators. Ring of 8 spies executed, 12 additional traitors of the state executed. Made to look accidental. Mission successful. Mission successful.

June 26; red guard mission; Lavrentiy Beria, leader of the U.S.S.R secret police is to be kidnapped and taken to a secure location under the Kremlin where he will be handed off to other red guard operatives. All loyal to Lavrentiy are to be silenced. 150 traitors dead, all loyal to Lavrentiy. Lavrentiy himself was executed by soldaty’s hands a day later. All threat to the state taken care off. Mission successful.

September 14; Red Guard mission; oversee leadership transfer between Georgy Malenkov to new state leader Nikita Khrushchev. Mission successful. Operatives winter kapitan and winter serzhant to remain in stasis for a period of time due to western intelligence interest. Possible fall out over failed black widow class and operative but the deployment of the soldiers is not to be risked until further notice. Mission successful

1954

Winter Soldiers remain in cryogenic suspension. 

1955

March 27; Red Guard mission; soldiers deployed to Belarus to our sister operation the red room, run by leviathan. Soldiers are to be deployed to the red room training facility to test the new class of Black widow operatives trained by doctor Fennhoff. Serious improvement under doctor Fennhoff’s instructions from previous classes. 3 widows out of a class of 24 failed. Failures executed on spot by soldiers. Latest widows to be deployed to countries of interest within the week. Mission successful. Assets returned to Siberia for cryogenic suspension. Estimated return to active service by July 4th 1956. Mission successful

1956 

Assets allowed returning to active service from 4 July onward. Happy birthday kapitan. 

August 7; hydra mission; oversee the destruction of a Dynamite transport in Colombia. 1000 died, more than 1000 injured. Cause of explosion remains a mystery to authorities, no trace of hydra interference. Mission successful.

November 18; red guard; shadow and protect U.S.S.R leader Nikita Khrushchev. Perform as two ballet dancers in the reception opening before changing into two servers for the night. Both assets receive haircuts and are shaved appropriately. Both reacted violently to having clippers placed near their heads and razors near throats, future haircuts will be sparse and only preformed if necessary. Mission successful.

December 26; joint hydra and Red Guard mission; It has been relayed to Moscow that Shostakov, overseer of the red room and third in command of leviathan is not co-operating with the doctor anymore and is preparing a coop to take power over leviathan and red guard and is to be removed from his position. The newly promoted general Dreykov is to be instated in his place as overseer of the red room and leader of leviathan, I, commander Karpov am also being promoted to general and overseer of the red guard and winter soldier project in a joint effort to control the situation. The winter soldiers are to assassinate Shostakov and destroy the body. After the assassination both assets are to travel to Switzerland to retrieve a package for the red room. General Dreykov has agreed to trial enhanced assets and we have reached out to our ally doctor Zola on his knowledge of super soldier serums. He has provided us with a batch of thirty serums, weaker than the winter soldiers mixed serums of doctor Erskine’s and doctor Zola’s 75th batch, but strong enough to give major enhancements. The weaker serum is due to oversight that if it is stronger and shield discover this then Zola’s position in America risks being compromised as one of only two people in the world who have worked with a version of successful serums. Weaker serum also allows the winter soldiers to overpower any future widow that may go rogue and allow us to bring them back for maintenance. 

They are to retrieve the package from Doctor Zola himself from his home estate in Switzerland and are to take it back to Belarus. Both assets are to also accompany doctor Fennhoff in training the new enhanced black widows. 30 of the most promising young girls have been handpicked by the doctor to receive the serum. Youngest widow chosen is 9, eldest is 14. Each will receive training from the soldaty until there 16th where they will be handed one final test. Test pass and widows are to graduate and become operatives, test failed then widow operative will be placed through the conditioning and maintenance used on the winter soldiers. Any enhanced widow operative that fails a mission or goes rogue will receive conditioning and maintenance as the soldiers receive. The enhanced red room operatives are too valuable to the state to go rogue and all efforts will be made to ensure they remain with the Red room. Preparations have been made and the clean slate protocol mechanics are being transported to the facility during the duration of the assets mission. A third wipe chair is to be constructed for the red room operatives. 

Mission stasis; received and preparation underway. 

Further notes.

Assets are to be deployed sparsely over the next few years. They will return to their main deployment base in Siberia upon the graduation of the last widow upon her sixteenth birthday by approximately 1963. They will use there alias Stepan Rogov and Yakov Baranov once again when dealing with the black widows. All equipment necessary for the upkeep of the soldaty is to be transported to the red room facility. A lower level basement wing of the compound has been assigned the location for both soldiers to stay. They will have an assigned room suite with all privileges currently given to both assets. There cryo chambers will be placed in the wing next to their wipe chairs. Protocol has changed for the handling of the assets. Five days out of the ice, preferably weekdays, from Friday night from 2100 hours onward both assets will go through an altered clean slate protocol and ice bath protocol. Mind wipes will be at a lower voltage output and for a shorter exposure to ensure older memories of before there service to Russia and previous missions remains forgotten. Memories that will be allowed for both assets, any involving doctor Fennhoff, implanted memories, training memories, both their own with the red guard and there memories training the widows. After wipe, both assets will be places into cryogenic stasis over the weekend period before being thawed on Monday morning at 0000 hours and wiped once more before re-deployed to teach the new enhanced widows. 

Overall deployment of the winter soldiers has been beyond successful. They are the most elite operatives to the Red Guard and are some of the most highly decorated with their impressive kill counts, both confirmed, assisted and non-confirmed. Current joint kill count between the soldiers is confirmed at over 1367, including recently confirmed 100 collateral victims from the Colombia mission. Kills from training not included. Over 200 traitors and spies killed during the training of the winter soldiers. 100 each. 

Another report of our assets missions finished in time for the New Year. I hope General Dreykov the best running the red room, he understands what is expected of him, failure is not an option, after all his predecessors end should be a warning for failure. It will be interesting to see enhanced widows serving alongside our winter soldiers. It will also be noted that the soldiers will receive additional training and new protocols as requested by hydra, both will receive sexual training to preform honey pot missions and undercover sexual acts for infiltration into the growing queer communities in the west and the allowance of it. Including cross dressing, straight and homosexual sex acts and in addition they will sit through western slang, behaviour and culture classes. The use of both their male and female genitalia will be taught during the recovery period for the enhanced black widow class and upon arrival to the red room they will be sterilised within five days (Time given to allow for usage of medical ward to the enhancement of the operatives in training). They will receive the same tubal occlusion operation as all previous widow operatives and red room graduates. This procedure is reversible for future uses if needed. There uses have now increased for future missions with both hydra and the Red Guard. The Red Guard will miss our soldaty but understands that our sister department have need for them more at the moment after the failure with the previous classes of Black widow operatives. Doctor Fennhoff will be placed as there handler until there return to the Red Guard by estimated 1963 and will only have two of their field handlers transfer to the red room with them. 

The soldaty will still be placed on high risk and highly classified missions if the need for their usage arises. I trust General Dreykov will take care of the soldaty. He understands how the assets are two of the most highly valued operatives to the Red Guard and has previously shown his respect for the winter soldier program. I wish general Dreykov all the best in his new post.

Signed General Vasily Karpov, Red Guard leader. 

Siberia, December 26th, 1956

“Begin protocol ice bath. Bring them up to temperature.” Karpov ordered the nearest technician as he left his office. The technician nodded and ran off to the main chamber of the base. They notified the other technicians on base to get into standby mode as he began to type up the command codes into the control panel that was linked to the two cryogenic chambers.  
“Ice bath protocol engaged sir, count down is at six hours before defrost and opening commander.” The head technician called over. 

“Good, this will be the last wipe preformed on this base for a while. After this mission both assets are to be placed under doctor Fennhoff’s command to train a new class of widow operatives. Have the men gather the boxes ready to prep the chairs for transport to Belarus once the clean slate protocol is finished.” Karpov instructed as he waved to a group of soldiers. “You are to prep the winter soldier’s armoury for transport along with the wipe chairs and cryogenics chambers. All tactical gear belonging to both soldiers is to be boxed up and ready for transport within a twelve hour time slot once the winter soldiers leave base. The chairs and cryogenic chambers are to be taken to classified co-ordinates that will be given once on transport. The armoury for our assets is also to be place on board that plane.”  
“Sir yes sir.” Chorused around the cavern as many men and scientists began running about organising the imminent move.  
“Good. We need to move fast if we are to save the red room and leviathan and ensure the security of the state.” The general barked.  
“Sir Yes sir” echoed through the room as the soldiers began to prep the base to be emptied as Karpov went back to his set of rooms connected to his office. Locking his door behind him. Once the door was locked and he knew his suite of rooms was secure, he lifted an old painting off the wall, a simple yet elegant painting of a lone long ship being battered and tossed to a glorious winter storm. He lifted down the painting to reveal a secret space in the wall. Opening this he revealed that behind the fake wall was a simple yet sturdy safe. He chuckled and left the safe sitting on display for a time being. The contents were not needed for another six hours. 

He had read over the last few reports on his desk and had helped himself to a luxurious meal of beef stroganoff with plenty of helpings of expensive imported rice and a bottle of strong red wine. He felt like he needed it. He knew Shostakov wasn’t all as loyal as he claimed to be and the failures that he had previously produced in the red room where damaging enough. The Red Guard and Karpov had been called in to clean up the red rooms messes before. Now however with the assets, the red room’s failures risked potentially leaking news about two of Russia’s strongest weapons. It was a shame, Karpov thought. Shostakov had once been a very loyal soldier, one of the best there was, and indulging in his scientific curiosities had once paid off for the red room and leviathan but now he risked everything all for the sake of his ego. 

He was brought out of his thoughts by a phone call in his office. He flicked his head over to a clock on the wall and discovered that six hours had passed. The assets would be thawed by now and would be beginning there wipe phase. The general moved out of his chair and back toward the safe in his office. Unlike his rooms, his office was not soundproofed. The faint echo of screams confirmed to him that the kapitan and serzhant where being wiped. With this in mind he moved to the open wall in the room. Standing in front of the safe the general quickly began to twist the dial, opening it up to reveal the small red leather notebook.

An hour later all that could be heard from the base was heavy hollow pants from two men and a list of words echoing around the room.  
“Good evening soldaty.”  
“Ready to comply” came the harsh, breathless reply from the two men strung tight and restraint against two menacing chairs in the room.  
“Your mission is this Kapitan Serzhant. You are to go to the following address in Switzerland; there Doctor Zola will hand over a package to you. We will be meeting up in Belarus at the following co-ordinates. From there you will be tasked with assassinating the people in this file and anyone who follows them. You will report in to myself and handler doctor Fennhoff and await orders for your next mission after this. A mission to train the newly serum enhanced of the black widow program and to receive sexual training for future missions. Understood?”  
“Sir yes sir.” Both soldiers replied as they snapped to attention as there restraints fell off them.  
“Excellent, techs clothe them. Soldaty, you will get dressed, load up with weapons and read over this file. The time is currently 2035 hours, you have until 2130 to read through the file, and pack your weapons before wheels up at precisely 2130. Tardiness is not acceptable.” The general informed them.  
“Da handler Karpov.” Both replied and saluted before mindlessly marching off towards the waiting technicians and there gear. They silently made their way through there protocols and where on the plane within the hour. There new mission taking them away from their home for many years to come. 

Forty eight hours later, location Belarus.

Shouting could be heard echoing through the offices and administrations building in a compound of many renovated factories from the previous Great War. Inside a large plush office with views over the compound, a team of ten female red room operatives all aged between 16 to 30 stood around two men. One tied to a chair and the other standing tall above him.  
“Give it up Alexi, You have lost. You are lost, your years teaching these children the temptations of the west has made you soft. That softness has poisoned the red room. You’ve betrayed leviathan by falling for the western propaganda.”  
An elderly man tied to a chair yelled angrily at the man who stood in front of him. Doctor Johann Fennhoff sat before Alexi Shostakov, leader of the red room organisation.  
“This is my organisation, these are MY girls and I will not allow the KGB to dictate just what I can and cannot teach because they are afraid of a little propaganda.”  
“Your girls are more American than they are Russian with how you’ve taught them. You’ve been given too much leeway in the past. The KGB is reeling from your failures; you have had two widows gone rogue against orders, one dead the other untouchable as she works with the Americans. Secrets stolen, years of work and secrecy gone down the drain. Scores of your graduated operatives have been arrested and executed by the states enemies because you played favourites. Spoiling them like the fat capitalist children you tell them about. They’ve become so spoilt that they would rather be Americans than Russians. You have failed the red room, you have failed the KGB and you have failed those you liked to call “Your children”.” The doctor sneered as he glared at the younger man. Whilst the doctor was in his seventies, Alexi Shostakov was easily in his sixties. The younger man slapped him, jerking the doctor’s head to the side before looking at him and laughing. 

“And tell me… doctor, what you know about being a father. You have no one. No sons, no grandsons, no daughters or granddaughters. I, for over thirty years, have had my daughters, and recently, my partner has provided me with a son, a true heir. When I look upon him I see the next generation of leviathan operatives. He and my girls are the future of leviathan and the K.G.B.”  
“As happy as you make that sound, you forget that your girls are not loyal to the K.G.B. You’ve known this for a while too Alexi, otherwise I would not have been transferred from the Red Guard.”  
“Those superiors have no idea what is in front of them Johann. It has been years now and we still have not made a move. We have nuclear capabilities; we have teams of operatives who are lodged into America in plain sight. We can take the capitalists over night with my operatives alone.”  
“Are you stupid Alexi? Who was it that dropped the first bombs? We’ve both seen the state of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, they were only two bombs. The states have hundreds if not thousands of them now. You’re playing a dangerous game if you want full out nuclear warfare. It would destroy the state.”  
“MY girls can find us the locations of every base in America.”  
“YOUR GIRLS ARE COMPROMISED. YOU AND YOUR DELUSIONS COULD KILL US ALL.”  
“It’s not delusions if a father wants to make the world a better place for his children.”  
“Ha, is that it. A father wanting to give his children what the world. Give little Alexi Lionel Shostakov the third the world, give his traitorous sisters titles and pretty things like a capitalist. What about the thousands of other operatives that have graduated from here, the ones your precious girls have compromised, turn them into your personal harem. You’re not much better than the last Tsar if you do that.” The doctor sneered as he looked out the window behind the elder man interrogating him. There where shadows running around the compound, shadows which only the doctor saw. 

“What would you know; you’re just a bitter old man. No one to care for and no one to love you.”  
“If that is what you know then you are sorely mistaken. I do have son’s Alexi, Stepan and Yakov, and they must be pretty angry at how you’ve been treating me. So tell me Alexi. How many of your girls have died in the time that has passed since you arrested me eleven hours ago.” The doctor smiled darkly… right as the lights went out. The room was lit with only the eerie glow of moonlight as eleven of the people in the office panicked.

“What?” Shostakov said as he staggered back, white as a ghost. The widow operatives in the room raised their weapons to kill the doctor only for ten bullets to rip through the walls. All ten bodies dropped as two figures burst in through the bullet riddled wall. Both clad in black with two gleaming metal arms and short blond and brown hair. Their faces where covered in two masks that the red room leader recognised from there last visit, albeit now with a haircut.  
“The winter soldiers… they… you….” The man stuttered out as the blonde walked towards the man whilst the brunette pulled a large dagger off his back and sliced through the ropes keeping the doctor tied down.

“My Sons and prides of joy. Both were seriously injured at the end of the war and taken Captive. It took a few years to get them back to full health and back into service with us once again. Stepan Rogov and Yakov Baranov. My beloved sons, adopted upon the death of their parents. They call me uncle, but I like to see myself as their father. I did raise them and care for them through the thick and thin of it all and nurse them back to health when they were on the brink of death.” The doctor smiled as Stepan and Yakov took off there masks. Alexi went white with fear as he recognised the two men and looked towards the doctor.  
“Say hello to my sons Alexi. The red rooms very own enhanced super soldier operatives Winter Kapitan and winter serzhant. The winter soldiers.”  
“WAIT… WAIT.. YOU CAN’T KILL ME.” He cried out in fear, the doctor was crazy.

“They can actually, your death warrant was issued forty eight hours ago. Your delusions bordered treason. Your planned coup of leviathan and the KGB meant risking the thousands of operatives we have including the secrecy of our most elite and secretive operatives. Whilst we may have been too late to save leviathan leader general Kuznetsov, we will see to it that justice is served. All widow operatives where caught and executed, implicating your involvement in a potential coup. You made your bed Alexi, now you will sleep in it and dream of the ghosts who killed you. Do not worry about your son. He will be raised as a loyal Red Guard member; your daughters will be spared if they can prove to be useful. Good bye Alexi, your service to the State has come to an end. Stepka, make it painful but quiet and quick.” The doctor instructed as the blond grabbed the now former leader of the red room.  
A single muffled screech was heard as the metal arm snapped through the man’s spine whilst his flesh arm silenced his mouth. The man’s neck and head fell to an un-natural angle as his body dropped to the floor sitting upright against the desk in the destroyed office. 

“Good evening my beloved boys. It has been a while since I saw you both. Thank you for your timing.” He smiled as he reached out and petted each man’s head.  
“Good evening Uncle Johann. We missed you.” Both replied chirpily together. Like they shared one mind. Which after all the conditioning they had gone through could be said to be true.  
“We shall catch up later my boys; however, there is a package you where to deliver.” He said as he looked to Yasha.  
“Here Uncle.” The brunette smiled. 

The doctor’s face split with a large smile as he slowly opened the brief case in front of him. The contents of which would have countries warring with each other if they ever found out. In the case stood 30 bright blue, I.V bags filled with the revolutionary serum that would give the Red room the greatest advantage over the capitalist west since the war. 

“Excellent my boys, well done. This is a glorious future for leviathan, for the state. Soon you will be joined by thirty of the most skilled young operatives in the intelligence world. 30 more enhanced operatives to join you both. Hail red guard, hail hydra.” The doctor said with a glorious smile as the two soldiers snapped salutes and chanted back just as proudly. 

Operation Black Widow, was a go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All missions mentioned are events that happened around the world. I have altered these events and any death toll to make it seem like Hydra or the red guard where behind them. All people mentioned in these where actual people but i have altered whether they lived or died and if so how they died. 
> 
> Everyone knows about Buckys words so i chose similar words for Steve. I may even release a one shot of what those words mean and the reasoning behind why i chose those words for Steve.
> 
> The winter soldiers travelled to Switzerland to pick up a package of thirty I.v bags worth of Zola's imperfect and slightly weaker Super soldier serum. Whilst they where doing that the leader of the red room decided to make a move with his attempted coop and took doctor Fennhoff hostage, believing he could negotiate with the elderly doctor.  
> Upon arrival to Belarus, the Winter Soldiers are given a new mission of hostage rescue and to eliminate any operative that stands against them. 
> 
> they rescue him and hand him off the serums. the red room goes through a purge as the winter soldiers kill the red room traitors, leaving only the loyal operatives and matrons alive, and leaving the children alive.... for now.


	11. Chapter 11: itsy bitsy spider.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snow crunched under thin flat shoes. 
> 
> A large group of over thirty girls, no older than nine years of age, danced across the snowy grounds and between the large red bricked buildings that was there home. The large isolated orphanage and prep school built from the remains of a cluster of the regions old munitions factories from the second world war. taken over, repurposed and expanded upon so it was large enough to house thousands of young girls of all ages between new-borns to sixteen year olds. 
> 
> a compound of seeming innocence and good will that held dark secrets, hidden deep in the Belarus countryside.

December 29th 1956

Angry cries and shouts echoed through a large court yard in the middle of two large buildings, a canteen and a classroom. It was a large cold grey compound of buildings consisting of converted warehouses and factories floors. There was a school, a canteen, a dance hall, and a large orphanage all on the one compound, hidden deep in the forests of Belarus at the foothold of a large mountain range. The orphanage was an all-girls orphanage; young maidens off all ages lived in this facility, from abandoned new-borns in the nursery to the elder children, to the elder teen’s girls awaiting their time to leave. Yet as a class of young girls gathered around two young girls in the middle of a ring outlined on the rough gravel you could tell it was no ordinary girl’s orphanage as the two young girls in the ring fought each other. One girl outmatching her opponent with every strike. 

There matron sneered at them in disgust as she watched the taller blond throw a sloppy right hook and rolled her eyes in hopelessness as she watched her smaller opponent wipe the floor with her as she kicked the taller girls feet out from under her, sending her blond opponent crashing down to the floor painfully. She nodded towards her opponent who politely nodded back and continued her advance on her opponent. The younger girl was smaller than her opponent, with bright red hair and sharp, calculating green eyes. The red headed child quickly and gracefully jumped upon her opponent and twisted around her like a snake, knocking her off her balance as she tried to stand up and fight. There were two audible snaps as the blond fell to the ground, her left arm shattered and sticking out at an odd angle as her opponent wrapped her arms around her neck. The young red head didn’t look towards there matron for permission, she already had it, not to mention her opponents sloppiness and fear alone made her a reject and not worthy of continuing her education. They had been drilled that failures where to be killed before they could compromise. Her opponent, a young girl called Mila had overestimated her abilities and had held the belief that out of all of her classmates she was the best, developing an ego that would eventually lead to her death. They were not qualities that lasted long in the red room. 

With a quick twist a third and final loud snap echoed through the courtyard. The matron gave two shallow claps and barked orders towards two of her classmates. They picked up the body of the blonde and carried it off towards the furnace for burning.   
“After lunch classes have been cancelled. Our superiors have called an assembly for after your lunch break. You are to meet at the main sports field after lunch. Dismissed.” She instructed and blew her whistle loudly. 

Unbeknownst to the class, there were three shadows watching them from the corner of the building.   
“Matron Lebedev.” The eldest of the three spoke as he approached her. The woman snapped to attention and saluted the doctor.   
“Doctor Fennhoff sir.”

“At ease matron. I wish to ask you a question. You are not in trouble, you after all are one of the few loyal operatives left after Shostakov’s little coup.”  
“You were improving the young operatives in ways that impressed me. They were becoming better operatives than my own class sir; I am always ready to train the newest class of widows to be better and stronger than the last class. Following Shostakov only lead to sloppiness and failure doctor.” The young woman, who was easily in her mid to late thirties spoke.  
“Thank you for your honesty Matron Lebedev; you have done the red room proud with your classes. They have always had the highest pass rates. However that is not who I am here to talk about.”  
“Ah yes, I assume you were watching the girls. It’s a shame Mila once had some potential, Shostakov liked this class and like her, I did not. Alexi encouraged her ego, which is not a trait I want in my widows, a trait many young capitalist women have. Unbecoming of a red room operative. Young Natalia knew what she had to do.” The matron spoke.   
“Yes, Natalia has the potential for the new program I am beginning. You have been aware of two of the red guards top operatives are on base. The winter soldiers.”  
“Yes doctor I have.”  
“Good. My sons, Stepan and Yakov volunteered during the war for a variant of the famed American super soldier serum, made by hydra leader Arnim Zola. My boys where the only two to survive the war and have given years of service ever since. Their arrival two days ago along with Shostakov death is the start of a new beginning. General Dreykov has agreed that perhaps it is time to expand that into the red room. After all, my sons are assassins, leviathan also needs spies. I have chosen 29 young girls who I see potential in. I believe I have found the thirtieth.”   
“I would be honored doctor to have a student of mine become a member of your new program. Natalia Romanova has proven to be the strongest and fastest in her class, always underestimated by her classmates and peers. She will become one of the best operatives the red room will have produced in many years by the time she is ready to graduate.”  
“Heh, No relation to the Romanov family.”

“Her records state that her father was Alexi Romanova, he had apparently swapped places with a stable boy who looked similar to him and went out the night of the place invasion to go dancing with a young maiden whom he liked. The stable boy continued to pretend to be the young prince even until his death. He was killed when the red room tracked him down after having heard rumours about him and his service during the war. His wife was also killed as she tried to flee with their only child. Natalia has been taught true loyalty in those years and has no influence or connections to family outside of the red room. We are all she knows and she understands why we are her family and why we are all she should ever wish to know. If I was to choose a student myself from my group it would always be Natalia. Both she and Yelena are the best two students I have had in many years...”  
“Good then Matron, you are one of the best operatives, you will continue overseeing Natalia. All other young operatives are being stripped of the titles of black widow operatives; they will just be red room operatives. My program of enhanced spies will instead be given the title of black widows. For they are the future.” The doctor spoke with a smile.   
“Yes doctor.”  
“Good, now run along matron and I will see you after lunch at the assembly.” The doctor said as he walked away, disappearing back into the shadows with his two body guards, the sun glinting off there metal arms as they moved forward to meet him. 

Many young girls of all ages sat around in the large canteen, stuffing their faces full of their lunch. They were allowed no longer than fifteen minutes in the canteen at a time. The young red headed child, Natalia Romanova sat alone, away from her class. Her fight had left many fearful and word had quickly spread about Mila’s death. Many of the girls preferred Mila over Natalia. This was not a known secret; they had let the young red haired girl know time and time again. Many had been informed that it was Mila and Natalia chosen for the test today. Not many where routing for Natalia. The girls where pitted against one another every day, those who fail the daily test are given extra training in the evenings and the threat of missing there evening meal. 

There monthly combat test was stricter. It was a fight for life and death. If the girls show that they are evenly matched and there techniques had improved and become more refined the loser of the match was mostly allowed to live. Any girl that showed traits unbecoming of a red room operative, or failed to show improvements in there fighting, where to be killed. The matron overseeing the fight was the person who gives the order for her student to kill the failure. 

Today Natalia was victor once more. 

The young child was only nine years old and had been in the red room since she was only three weeks old. Told that her parents had been loyal spies that had been tragically killed not long after her birth in 1947. She was the youngest girl to be delivered to the red room.

She was the first to leave the canteen, having wolfed down her lunch meal of Solyanka, a slice of Borodinsky bread, a cup of kvass and a single apple. She quickly marched out of the canteen, ignoring the scared looks of the younger girls and the venomous glares of the older girls, especially her class rival Yelena. Many had supported Mila; she was once Alexi Shostakov favourite girl in Natalia’s class. Shostakov usually had a favourite girl in every class, those who he believed where the best of their class and would be the best operative upon graduation. Those favourites knew one another and where the most feared out of every girl in the red room. The death of one of their own shook them up, many where angry that a nobody like Natalia, as small as she was for her age, could kill one of their father’s favourites. Natasha just left without glaring back; it was a waste of time and not becoming of a red room operative. She simply went outside to the edge of the assembly field and did some stretches and exercises to keep her warm in the cold Belarusian winter whilst she awaited her class. Her thin uniform was not designed to keep them warm for long outside. At the top end of the assembly field there was a natural flat rise that overlooked the area, a podium had been built upon it once upon a time and had been used as a stage for many years. 

After ten minutes she saw her matron come forward towards the field with the others. There were a few of the older and younger girls hanging around the buildings but Natasha paid no heed to them. She knew the drill by now. She ran up to her matrons side on the field and stood to attention beside her as an alarm blared over the compound of buildings. The pair of them made their way to her classes assigned assembly point. 

Within two minutes over a five hundred girls of all ages came running towards the assembly field. More young girls than old. Many glared at Natalia as they passed her. Natalia kept a blank stony face. There glares and anger meant nothing to her, it just proved that they were not becoming red room spies. She watched as the doctor walked up on stage with a decorated Russian general and two men in black tactical outfits laid heavy with weapons flanking there either side. She was stumped when she didn’t see their father, Alexi Shostakov walk on stage with them. The man who took them all in, and helped shape them for their future positions and service to Russia.

The doctor, doctor Fennhoff walked forward to a microphone that was set up.   
“Good afternoon girls.” He spoke over the setup.   
“Good afternoon doctor.” The chorus of assembled girls replied.  
“It’s good to be standing here in front of you all. I have seen a great change in all of you in the two years I have been observing you all. You all warm this old man’s heart with your dedication and loyalty girls.” He said, getting smiles from all the young girls who adored the doctor, there grandfather figure who had arrived only two years ago.   
“However, for many of you, that loyalty has been misplaced. A failure that needs to be corrected immediately. As you all know those who graduate are given the title of Widow Operatives. The best spies trained for the good of Russia by a man who has given his heart and soul to the union. Alexi Shostakov has seen many of you nurtured and given special treatment under the guise that you are the best operative. In many years past this was true. However like many, Alexi’s heart became spoiled by western propaganda, spoiling some of those trained here. That is why I was originally sent to observe you all and your training. Many of your classes teach you about the capitalist pigs of the west, whilst many prove to stay strong and resist the temptation of these western desires, in recent years many operatives, those who have walked through these very grounds, have proven that this temptation is too much.” The doctor sneered, getting gasps and horrified looks from the young girls. Natalia was not one of them; she knew very well what the doctor was on about. She saw it in many of her classmates. 

“Those operatives where girls, of whom had received special treatment from overseer Shostakov. For this reason he has been removed from his position as head of the red room, permanently and many of those operatives who received special attention have been executed as traitors to the Republic. He has trained many classes of widow operatives but those whom he has given special treatment to have proven to be soft and weak willed, threatening the organization, threatening Russia, and worse, threatening the lives of your sister operatives all because they have been taught a lie. Our superiors have given us clear instructions wipe out the infection and clean the wound. Those who remained loyal to Shostakov, are dead, and young Natalia from class 9b has also given you all an example of what will happen to those students of whom believed they were untouchable for being Shostakov favourites. You will be pushed, you will be punished, and if you fail to prove yourself you will be executed like your fellow classmate Mila from class 9b. The Widow program has been ordered to desist; only one final class is to graduate from here. The rest of you will either prove yourself as ordinary operatives or be killed. In his place General Dreykov has been assigned to oversee the continuance of red room operations. He is now in charge of this facility and will oversee the restructure of your lesson plans.” He continued, noticing that many of Shostakov’s favourite students had gone white with fear. 

“However, with that, I have told you all you need to know, today, one final class of Widow Operatives will be assembled, the black widow operatives. Thirty of the top students handpicked by myself and by two of our sister organization the red guards two top operatives who will go through one last serious test to prove themselves before receiving specialized training from both myself and one matron and both red guard operatives. They will be the final class of Widow Operatives to graduate from this facility. Those students are to be feared and respected, and will have permission to kill any aggressor who intends to bully or fight them without their matron’s permission. Being one of these widow students will give them many perks that the rest of you will have to work for. They have proven themselves to be as skilled as some of the recent graduate operatives and thus will be treated as such with new uniforms, larger food rations, more skilled training, and new bedroom facilities. To those of you who wish for the same treatment then I tell you this, you will need to prove yourself and push yourself harder than you have before to even hope of receiving this treatment.” He added. 

“As I call your name, make your way to the stage and stand next to Matron Lebedev, she will be overseeing the final class of widows whilst matron Yahontov will be assigned to class 9b. From class 12A, Kira and Nina, class 12C Zariyah, Anastasia and Nadia, class 12 D Lada, from class 12E, Marisha and Zasha. From Class 11B Manya and Lizabeta, class 11C Oksana, Luiza, Raisa and Katya; class 11d Elvira, Danica, and Viktoriya. From class 10 A Galina and Irina, class 10B Anya, class 10D Lena, Melania, Nikolina, and Svetlana, class 10E Valeria, Aviva, Katerina and Xenia. Finally from Class 9B, Yelena and Natalia. Congratulations girls.” The doctor said as all thirty girls made their way to the front of the assembly, all lining up before the stage next to their matron. General Dreykov who had remained silent the entire time looked over the girls and nodded before moving towards the microphone as doctor Fennhoff took a few steps back. 

“The rest of you are dismissed and are to make your way to your next class. From today out, many of you will have to prove your worth to this organization or face punishment. Train hard and do not let me down. Dismissed.” He instructed stiffly as he stood back. Both he and Doctor Fennhoff moved off towards the bottom of the stage and moved towards the assembled group of girls.   
“Congratulations girls, as of today you are Black widow operatives. The last class of elite spies to be trained here. Well done.” The general saluted to them all, the girls quickly stood to attention and snapped sharp salutes back at him.   
“Yes, congratulations girls, you have done well to become widow operatives. However your training here is not done. You have not graduated yet and will not be graduating until you are sixteen. You will however be allowed to shadow your trainers on missions in the U.S.S.R and our neighbouring countries as you train in the time between now and your graduation.” The doctor spoke. “But first there is one final test that you will all be completing one at a time. Who hear has heard the tale of captain America?” The doctor asked with a smile, his eyes flicking towards the two brutes that where his body guards. All the girls raised their hands.   
“Anya, you may speak.”  
“Captain America is a capitalist soldier who was enhanced with a serum to create a super soldier. The serum increased his speed, strength, stamina, healing capabilities, mental capacity and endurance to beyond natural levels. It is recorded that he was able to heal from a 17mm bullet wound, non-lethal shot within ten minutes and walk off stab wounds as deep as three inches in five whilst Bone breakages could heal within days depending on severity and location. At his fastest he could run at over 120mph and jump 10 meters high from standing and over gaps as wide as forty meters from running as well as lift weights over one and a half ton.”  
“Very well done Anya, you know your facts well. Very becoming of a top operative.” The general spoke with a pleased smile at the ten year old girl before him.   
“Thank you general.” The young girl replied happily with a salute.   
“Yes, as Anya stated, the captain was enhanced with a serum. What you girls and only you girls will be privy to is that the Red Guard managed a breakthrough during the last Great War with a serum of their own. That serum was given to a squadron that was quickly cut down to just two remaining soldiers during the war once the capitalist pigs in America got word of our success. The squadron was captured and most men where experimented on and killed. The two men before you here today are the only two survivors, Kapitan Stepan Rogov, and Serzhant Yakov Baranov. My own sons whom I raised and trained after their parent’s deaths. They are the most elite operatives of the Red Guard. There code name: the winter soldiers. They will train those of you who can survive this final test that will be held over the next few days. Follow us girls.” The doctor said as he, the soldiers, general Dreykov and matron Lebedev walked off towards a large building. One that was renovated not too long ago. The girls had not seen the inside of it and where at odds as to what it was going to be used for before today. Now they knew.   
It was for their training and living. 

The girls followed wordlessly towards the large building, all being escorted into a hall. The hall itself, whilst larger than any the girls had been in before seemed to be half filled for their temporary accommodation until they were moved into their new dormitories. One half of the hall was arranged with filled three rows of tables and chairs for dining. Two more tables lined up against a wall covered with books and more learning material for them to read through during their time in the hall, and finally the majority of that half of the hall was filled with thirty beds and a plain set of pyjamas on the beds. Each bed had a notice with the name of the girl assigned to it. The eldest of the group Kira taking the bed nearest to the entrance that they had just come in from, whilst Natalia as they youngest was assigned the bed the furthest from them all. All the girls made their way to their assigned bed. Natalia took this time to look around the hall beyond the sleeping set up. The other half seemed to have been set up into a mixture between dance hall, with a partially lined wall with mirrors and barre’s and the rest was set up with gym equipment for an enhance individual. She saw two large alcoves next to a changing room. The alcoves had been filled with gymnastics equipment and floor mats, storage areas for when they were not in use. Between each of the alcoves was a small weapons storage facility. Most likely filled with melee weapons. 

“Each of you will be taken one by one to the medical centre in this building; there you will receive a version of the super soldier serum. If you survive you will become Black widow operatives in training. If you die, you will receive full honours and a funeral appropriate for red room operatives. Not that any of you will fail me girls. You are the best and strongest there is.” The doctor informed them as the girls stood beside each bed. “After surgery you will awaken in your new dormitories. These dormitories will have six girls per room, new beds and softer warmer sheets, a new wardrobe with uniforms and gear for your lessons. Each of you will be receiving your evening meals at the standard time and a new meal will be added of a light supper whilst we perform the medical treatment. You will remain in this hall until you are taken for treatment. We will give you all half an hour before we begin. Good afternoon girls.” The doctor said as he and the serzhant and kapitan walked away from them. Leaving the hall. Only Matron Lebedev remained and took up position by the door. 

“You are free to chat amongst yourselves. I recommend the elder girls here get changed into the pyjamas provided. You will be handcuffed as normal upon lights out. The rest of you can enjoy your downtime with the books provided or practice your stretches and drill yourselves in combat or dance.” The woman informed them. “You may also spar amongst one another but nothing lethal and no breakages or dislocations.” The older woman informed them as she picked up a book off one of the hastily placed book shelves. Many of the older girls in the twelfth year class went and got changed into their pyjamas, not sure when they would be called upon. Many of the younger girls turned around to chat with their classmates.   
However one of the girls walked towards the dance equipment at the back of the hall. Natalia began to move through her exercises one by one, repeating them and speeding up as she went along. After a while she slowly realized she wasn’t the only girl to practice their dancing. Another class rival, Yelena was beside her.   
“How did it feel.” The blond haired girl asked as she looked at her rival red headed classmate.   
“Wasteful. Mila had potential but she was spoilt. We knew what had to be done.”  
“Yes. It wasn’t much of a match.”   
“It was disappointing. I felt sorry for matron Lebedev; she has pushed us all so hard to become the best. Mila let her down.”   
“We don’t have to worry about that now. Two of us are here after all.” The blond said as she moved to match Natalia’s stretches. Natalia only nodded. Yelena and herself had proven themselves. The youngest girls in the black widow program. The girls with the most potential. 

“What did you think of them.” The blond asked as they moved onto there next rep.   
“Of whom.”  
“The soldiers. Our trainers. Kapitan Rogov and serzhant Baranov.”  
“There big… strong… I wonder how they will teach us. Strange names though.” She replied as she remembered the two men who were with the general and doctor earlier in the day. Both where huge in stature, making Natalia wonder how either giant could make assassins. The both held strong stony impassive faces when she had looked upon both of them briefly earlier. Not able to remember any striking features other than their hair. One was a brunette; the other slightly taller one was a blonde.   
“Did you see their arms? I saw they each had a hand of metal.” Yelena informs her. Nat’s eyes widened as she flicked her head to the other girl.   
“Really?”   
“Yes, there fingers where metal, under their gloves. So was there palms. I wonder how far up they go.” The blond asked. Natalia gave Yelena a pensive glance as she thought for a moment. Trying to imagine two arms of metal.   
“Well, if we survive receiving the serum I bet we’ll find out.” She replied after a moment.   
“You think your strong enough Natalia.”  
“I don’t know… but we were picked for a reason Yelena. Perhaps we are strong enough.”  
“Well then, I hope to see you after the operation then… if your strong enough. It’ll be an honour to become a Black widow operative with you.” Yelena smirked as she continued dancing with her rival. Natalia gave a small challenging smile back to the slightly older girl.   
“I think the honour will be all mine. Perhaps we’ll even be allowed to see who will be the stronger of us one day.” Nat replied as she finished up her stretches and began to go through a few dance routines.   
“Perhaps, but for now it’s up to Kira to set the way for us. If she can survive.” Yelena said solemnly. In a way no nine year old girl should ever have been expected to reply. A harsh reminder that these girls where not children, for what child is taught to be cold, calculating machines capable of creating death and destruction.   
Both girls continued to push one another in there dancing for a few hours until there evening meal came in. For servers came in carrying trays of hot food and plates on carts. All the girls ran over to the carts and lined up to receive their evening rations. All where excited to see what they would be eating. They were treated to large cuts of roast beef, mountains of roasted and boiled vegetables and mashed potatoes and given copious amounts of gravy, including western pastry bits called a Yorkshire pudding on their plate. Natalia and Yelena’s eyes lit up at the heaping amount of food placed onto their plates. They were loaded up with multiple slices of thick beef and loaded with veg until you could not see the bottom of the plate. Each girl received a large bottle of water and a small carton of milk along with their dinner. They were just as surprised when the servers returned with another trolley of food. Desert. Something they only received on national holidays. Each received a large slice of napoleon cake and custard with it.   
The girls had never been treated this way before outside of the designated holidays. Natalia knew that this was a gift for proving herself. That all her hard work and determination had paid off. She would continue to show her superiors her thanks through her dedication and push herself to become the best operative that will ever grace the red room. 

Hours passed and thirty girls where reduced to twenty five. Five girls had gone to receive the serum in the hours that they had been in the hall. Natalia and Yelena spent the evening together unusually. Neither had spent much time around one another before and Natalia had usually ended up being teased by her blonde classmate. Yelena only told her that she was impressed by her fight with Mila and told her that perhaps she had misjudged her. Natalia took it as an apology and both continued dancing long into the evening before having a brief spar that lasted until there first stalemate. Some of the older girls wished to use the equipment for a while, essentially kicking the pair back up the hall. Natalia just shook her head when she saw Yelena prepare to challenge one of the older girls. Yelena seemed to be tired out whilst the older girls where filled with energy and stamina. Yelena wouldn’t last long IF SHE DID Natalia noticed.  
“Yelena, there much more energetic than us. We have been training all day whilst they sat around doing nothing. They have more energy than us right now and I don’t want to test Doctor Fennhoff’s patients if one of us is injured before receiving the serum.”  
“Fine.” The blond sighed as she and Natalia made their ways over to one of the stacks of books laid out for them to choose from. Each girl picked up a few novels and took them back to their beds. They placed them on their beds but didn’t open them immediately. Instead they grabbed there clean pyjamas and ran into the changing room. Both took quick showers to freshen up before changing into the new clean cotton pyjamas they had received. When they were done both emerged with tight braids holding there wet hair back and new fresh black night gowns. Both girls spent the rest of the evening reading there books as two more girls were taken away. Seven gone by the time supper was served. All seven girls gone had been cuffed to their beds before the beds where wheeled out of the hall. It didn’t bother Natalia; her wrist had long ago developed calluses where the cuff would chafe at her skin.  
For their supper, the servers came in with only one cart of food. A simple set up of toast, fruit and tea, all given out to the remaining twenty three girls. It wasn’t long after their light supper that the girls made one last trip to the bathroom before being called to bed by the matron. Each being handcuffed to the bed one by one with the young blonde and red haired girls being last to be cuffed for the night.   
“Do you think they’ll take us during the night?” Yelena asked Natalia quietly as the lights where switched off in the hall.   
“Well… we’ll know first thing in the morning if another seven are gone. Perhaps ten.” She replied softly. The hall quickly quieted down as many of the girls began to drop off for the night. Yet Natalia remained awake for some time, waiting to hear the doors open and listen to the trundle of another bed being taken out. Another girl gone to receive the serum. Girl number eight gone. It didn’t take much longer after that before she slowly fell asleep.

“Natalia, time to wake up.” Yelena yelled in her ear, getting the red head to sit up quickly in shock. It was morning already. Natalia shook her head and yawned, not remembering falling asleep the night before. Matron Lebedev stood next to Yelena and unlocked her cuff before moving onto Natalia. Both girls where silent as they looked around the empty hall and there matrons stony face. She hadn’t looked like that last night. only thirteen girls remained.   
“There must have been losses.” Natalia whispered quietly as she made her way over to the bathroom to get freshened up before breakfast would be served.   
“I wonder how many.” Yelena spoke quietly as she looked around at the remaining girls. Neither Yelena nor Natalia said anything as they made their way over to the tables for breakfast. Neither particularly felt hungry as they looked around the hall. Even though they had been given an extra portion of porridge, slices of toast, a large portion of fresh mixed berries and tea, neither girl could bring themselves to eat all of it. The mood of their matron having disturbed them as they realized that this operation to receive the serum might just kill them.   
Both girls kept rather quiet during the day as thirteen dwindled to ten by lunch, and five by dinner. Both girls stopping whatever they were doing every time the doctors came in to get another girl. It was hourly at this rate. After dinner there was only, Aviva, Katerina and Xenia, Yelena and Natalia herself left. The youngest girls chosen out of the lot. The entire girl decided to sit on one bed before another was called, leaving four remaining. It helped calm them about what could either be there impending death or the beginning of a glorious future. Time past slowly as the girls huddled quietly on Natalia’s bed. There were no friends in the red room but for today, it seemed like they were. Natalia would honor these girls as though they were friends, if the worst came. As the sky darkened outside the hall, the doctors came back for the next girl. An hour later, as the moon peaked through the clouds the last   
Soon it was just Natalia and Yelena.   
“So, just us now.” Yelena quietly spoke up as she moved onto her own bed as Xenia was escorted out of the hall. Nat swallowed a lump in her throat and looked at the blonde.   
“Yes.”   
“It’s been an honour to train along with you Natalia.”  
“Don’t talk like that. You sound like you’re giving up before you even receive the serum.” The red haired child huffed.  
“I’m not, I am just worried about you.” The blond chuckled back.   
“I’ll fight. I will survive. So will you. We’ve been fighting to survive for years now. This will just be our hardest fight yet. If you make it I’ll make it. Wouldn’t want to miss having a rival such as you.” Natalia laughed as she held out her hand.   
“I’ll hold you to it Natalia.” Yelena chuckled as she reached over and shook the outstretched hand.   
Both remained silent until the doctors came once again. Cuffing Yelena to the bed and taking her away out of the hall. The wheels on the bed clacking against the cold tiles of the corridor as Natalia watched her rival and now friend leave. Natalia just lay back in her bed and waited for them to come for her. 

An hour later the doctors came for her.   
She simply held her hand out and allowed herself to be cuffed to the bed. Once she was secured they left the hall. It was a long trundled down endless corridors and a few rides down in two different yet equally large elevators. She felt her bed come to a stop in the corridor as some nurses began to rush around her.   
They stripped the bed of its blanket and pillow, and pulled the base sheets out from under Natalia, leaving just the mattress. Allowing the young girl to feel the waxiness of leather under her night dress. Then the nurses approached with thick leather and metal straps, beginning to connect them to the underside of the bed and slowly begin to restrain the young woman to her bed. Her legs and torso tied down first, then after un-cuffed her from the bed, her arms where restrained next. Finally one last restraint was put around her neck, keeping her firmly secured to the bed. Once the last buckles where tightened and in place the doors to the theatre where opened and the girl was wheeled in.   
“And finally our dear Natalia. Good evening miss Romanova.” Came the soft voice of Doctor Fennhoff as he appeared in view of her face. Standing above her.   
“Good evening doctor.” She replied, shocked to hear what she assumed was her surname.  
“I would ask if you are ready to begin but we both know that even if you are not my dear we cannot back out now.”  
“Yes doctor, I’m ready. I am ready to serve and protect the people of the state from the capitalist bullies in the west. I am ready to train to become the best operative the red room will ever have.” She replied.   
“Excellent my dear. These first fifteen minutes are crucial. If you can survive then you will join the others and given a month to become accustomed to your new strength, speed, stamina and senses before your training with the winter soldiers will begin. Good luck my dear.” The doctor said as he waved to numerous technicians. They slowly approached and quickly got to work, rolling back the sleeve of Natalia’s right arm and prepping the crook of her elbow before slowly drawing blood before moving down to her inner fore arm and cleaning the area with alcohol and cotton wool. Within moments she felt the push of a needle break through her skin and enter her arm.   
A technician quickly hooked a bag of glowing blue liquid onto a pole and attached a long tube to it, the liquid in the bag slowly began to drop into the attached tube and make its way into her arm. The first few minutes where fine as the liquid slowly worked its way into her body.   
Then it began to burn.   
She felt her insides get hotter and hotter until she felt like she was on fire. That her veins where filled with magma. That she was boiling alive from the inside out. She didn’t know how much time had passed but it soon the pain that she had been holding out against became too much as she began to scream. Everywhere hurt, everything felt too sharp, too strong. The lights where too bright, the room was too loud, the smells of antiseptic where nauseatingly strong and made her want to vomit.   
She was in agony. 

Natalia tried to keep her eyes open but it became too much for her, the pain was too much. Everything began to go black…

The gently clicking noise of cuffs being opened startled the young girl awake. Getting her to shoot up in bed.   
“Slow down Natalia, you will make yourself dizzy.” Came the soft laugh of her matron.  
“Matron Lebedev?”  
“Yes my dear. Congratulations Natalia, you survived.” The woman said as she removed the large bulky handcuff from the new reinforced steel bed, designed to look like an iron framed bed.   
“Natalia!” came the excited voice of five other girls as they rushed to her side.   
“Yelena?” she asked as she looked at the five older girls that came towards her. Two pairs of arms grabbed her side to steady Natalia as she swayed with dizziness.  
“Yes, I lived, we both did Natalia. We passed. So did Anya, Galina, Irina and Svetlana.” She said there matron approached the girls again.   
“Yes congratulations girls. You are the black widows, future red room operatives. The world’s first enhanced spies.” She said as she handed the group there clothes for the day. New black stretchy cotton leggings and black long sleeved tops. Very different to their old uniforms.   
The most striking thing however about their uniforms was the bright scarlet red, triangular hourglass. The markings of a black widow spider. Fitting for a black widow operative.   
The red hourglass would shake the foundations of the cold war and strike fear into every operative on either side. But for now, the little spiders needed to grow into their new found fangs.

They might be young, but with time and training, the little spiders will weave there webs and prove to be as dangerous as there arachnid counterparts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome to the red room. There will be major differences here than marvel canon, however some of the characters are canon to the marvel universe such as Madame B, and General Dreykov, and Yelena Belova. All others have had there names taken from websites and all food I had to look up. I apologize if they aren't Russian or food from that region. 
> 
> so for a little clarity.   
> classes are set up by the age of the students in that class. so class 10A would be made up entirely of ten year olds, while class 2a would be made up of young two year old toddlers in the red room nursery. Indoctrination and brainwashing begins young. Combat classes, dance classes, gymnastics classes begin when the girls reach class 3. educational classes begin when the girls reach class 5 or there fifth year of life. shooting and stealth begin upon reaching class 7 when all the girls are of a big enough size to hold even the smallest of service pistols. 
> 
> Girls in the red room program hides in plain site in the Belarus countryside under the guise of being a girls orphanage and prep school. girls are brought in between the ages ranging from new born to age five, or class five. anyone older is sent to ordinary orphanages as they are deemed too old to receive the proper indoctrination it takes to be a red room operative. The red guard do something similar but with boys and pose it as a military school. 
> 
> Our beloved brainwashed boys will appear more in future chapters but for now enjoy baby spider assassin/spy as she grows up. And yes, I have given Natasha a weaker version of the super soldier serum. This serum was produced by none other that hydra's doctor Zola. Its weaker than our favourite frozen assassins but strong enough to make it known that she was enhanced.


	12. Chapter 12: growing into your fangs.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Six little girls jolted awake as there morning alarm sounded. a loud ringing bell that awoke the compound signalling to the girls in the orphanage that it was the start of there day. 
> 
> All six of them pushed themselves up on there beds and awaited for the arrival of there matron. Only she held the key to there freedom. all of them shackled to there bed frames, keeping them from leaving the only life they've ever known.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the Slightly longer wait than normal, A mixture of school deadlines and writing block struck but I've gotten around it and will be uploading a second chapter this month, my Christmas present to you all. Furthermore i will be uploading a one-shot on how my winter soldier Steve's trigger words tie into his life just as they do for Bucky. 
> 
> Warnings of gore and child deaths. Mentioned hypnotism and brainwashing.

“Good morning girls.” 

“Good morning Matron Lebedev.” Was the gentle reply from six young girls? The matron was walking up through the middle of there room with the keys for their cuffs. The room itself was painted a gentle cream colour and filled with six reinforced steel beds and six bedside tables, matching the thin wardrobes they also had. Yet there were little clothes in the wardrobe, just the minimum amount such as sweaters, two spare shirts, two pairs of shorts for the summer months, two pairs of sports skirts, two pairs of leggings, there ballet gear and a formal uniform for inspections by the elite. The six girls in the room received such luxury for who they are. 

The red rooms prized, enhanced, Black widow students. They had earned the few luxuries they had.   
“Today is the day you start your new training regime girls. Off to the canteen for breakfast with all of you and report back to the hall at six hundred hours. You will no longer be served food in this building, you will however be allowed to take your supper and the odd snack such as an apple or bottle of water into the building to keep up with your higher metabolisms. As instructed by doctor Fennhoff. Now go girls, and remember, you are allowed to intimidate the other girls if they deserve it, and if it’s any of Shostakov’s favourites you have permission to kill them to teach the others there place.” The matron said with a joyous smile as she watched the six girls scramble around there beds, all running towards the bathroom to freshen up for the day and to change.

Within five minutes they were dressed in there new black uniforms. Black leggings, black skirts on top of that designed for sports, and a black long sleeved shirt with a bright red hour glass. The mark of a widow. All six girls waited until they were all ready. They had discussed this day since they awoke. How they would show up the others, that Shostakov’s favourites where now out of favour. Replaced by them. All of them planned to walk in together in a show of power.

And that they did as all six of them approached the canteen building. Many of the younger girls spotted them and gave them a wide birth, eyeing them with awe and wonder as they strutted past. Many of the matrons in the room looked at them approvingly. They were pleased to see the girls and their confidence in themselves post serum. Other girls looked at them in shock, others with fear. Shostakov's girls, who had once held his favour, looked at the girls in disgust. The servers smiled as the six of them pushed past the other girls in the que and handed the six of them there trays lain with a large breakfast. Large bowls of porridge topped with fresh fruit, two warm freshly baked scones with plenty of butter, large hot cups of tea, a bottle of water and a large apple and two plums each. All of them marched towards the new table reserved for them. After all, classes eat together. 

There quiet morning was soon interrupted by three very angry and disgusted sixteen year olds. Three blond teens called Anastasia, Elena and Khristina. The rulers of the girls, feared by all below them. The eldest of Shostakov’s favourites, all due to graduate in a months’ time, now held back a year to prove their loyalty. All three stared down the six black widow students.   
“Well, well, well, looks like there where survivors after all.” Anastasia sneered.   
“If it isn’t Shostakov’s little princess herself. Come to congratulate us Anastasia.” Galina asked sweetly.   
“You may think that just because you passed the test that you’re a big shot now. You’re nothing. All of you are nothing compared to us. And you never will be.” Anastasia sneered down at them.  
“Aww, someone’s jealous. What are you going to do, go running back to daddy crying?” Irina laughed as the three girls pulled faces of horror, anger and disgust.  
“Oh wait you can’t.” Svetlana added as she smiled.   
“Go back to your table, the three of you, if you know what’s good for you.” Yelena added as the others just laughed.   
“Why, what are you six little girls going to do.” Elena angrily spoke up, tears visibly welling up behind her eyes.   
“Show you your place beneath us. You can kiss my shoes as you grovel before us princess… whilst begging for your life.” Natalia spoke up with a glare, surprising the others at her threat. She had always just let her skills do all the talking before; she had never made any verbal taunts before.  
Anastasia fumed and turned red before letting out a cry and throwing her fist towards Natalia’s face.   
Within a second the fight was over. The screams and crunching noise of bones being ground to dust echoed throughout the canteen. Elena and Khristina had jumped back and fallen to the floor with how fast Natalia had moved. Nobody had seen her get up or move. Natalia had turned Anastasia’s fist to a pulp of bone dust and mushy flesh whilst putting her in a chokehold. She looked up to the nearest matron who nodded towards her. Anastasia was turning purple.  
“You do not have permission to attack or lay a single hand on any of the black widows. None of you do. Anastasia will serve as the example to you all.” The matron spoke.  
“You should have listened to doctor Fennhoff Princess. He already told you the consequences.” Yelena sneered as the five other girls nodded to her. 

In a rain of blood and gore, Natalia pulled Anastasia’s head clean off her shoulders, spinal cord and a handful of broken ribs, ripping out through her neck, getting many girls to scream as they saw it. The matrons in the room smiled at the show of strength. As one of them moved forward.   
“Elena, Khristina, take this failures body to the furnace and report straight to class, you will not get to finish your breakfast.” She said before turning to Natalia. “Congratulations and well done Natalia.” She said as she handed her a handful of wet cloths to clean herself off. The other widows smiled at her as she sat back down. The fear from there other classmates palpable, the girls once loyal to Shostakov where shaking like leaves and where horribly pale. They would never bother the six of them again. They were the red rooms favourite. The states favourite. No dead leader’s favour would save them. The girls continued to wolf there breakfast down to get as many calories into their small bodies as possible.   
They were the only ones in the hall eating. 

After half an hour a bell rang loudly, signalling the beginning of classes. All six widows had there trays cleared of food and there bottles of water tucked under their arms with a single piece of fruit for a snack if there metabolisms overcome them before lunch, as they ran out of the canteen towards there training building. All running into the hall which had been set out for hand to hand combat. There stood three very important people.   
“Good morning girls.”   
“Good morning doctor Fennhoff.” The six of them said with happy smiles as they looked upon their grandfather figure. He had been so kind to them over the past month, so understanding and helpful as he helped them transition into their new strength. All of them felt safe around him and agreed that they would do everything to protect the doctor from any traitorous matrons who were still loyal to Shostakov, to show him there gratitude. He approached them all with a gracious smile before frowning as he looked at Natalia.   
“My dear Natalia, I do hope this isn’t your blood.” He said as he pulled out a cloth and wiped down a few flecks left on her arm.   
“No Doctor.” She said with a beaming smile.   
“No doctor, it was Anastasia from class 16E. Natalia pulled her head off and her spine came out too.” Anya spoke up in excitement at the feat.   
“Anastasia got annoyed that we survived and that we were chosen as Widows.” Svetlana added in the same ecstasy.   
“She grabbed Anastasia’s punch and crushed her hand before ripping her head off on the orders of Matron Turgenev.” Yelena added.   
“Very well done Natalia.” The doctor smiled as he let off a laugh at their enthusiasm. “Shostakov’s girls need to learn what will happen to them now that they do not have any leverage any more. They will fall into better behaviour now.”   
“Thank you doctor.” Natalia smiled. 

“Well then, where was I.” the doctor began as he took a few steps back. “Ah yes. Good morning girls and welcome to your first lesson of many. You have spent a month getting used to your new strength and recovering from receiving the serum. Today is the first day of six years of studying under two of the red guards most deadly assassins. My girls let me re-introduce you both to Kapitan Stepka Rogov and Serzhant Yakov Baranov. Otherwise known as the winter soldiers, and my own beloved sons. Both who serve the Red Guard with extreme dedication.”  
“Good morning Kapitan Rogov, Serzhant Baranov.” The girls replied looking at the two soldiers dressed in black tactical pants, boots and two dark grey tee-shirts that where straining against their bulging muscles. Each had a set of dog tags around there necks and hanging down there shirts. All six girls looked in awe at the both of them… or more specifically, the shining metal arms with bright red stars on there shoulders just visible under the sleeve

“Good morning Girls.” The kapitan smiled as he looked upon them with a relieved smile. He was glad to be working with them and not continuing their sexual training sessions for any mission either he or Yasha will perform for going undercover.   
“Morning Girls.” The serzhant added as he looked between his kapitan and the six little girls they were to train.   
“Well then, Girls, welcome to your first intensive training class. These classes will be different to what you are used to. Your new timetable will reflect this. Memorise this as you will be following this for many years to come. There will be days dedicated to just solely one training session as a review of your progress, however your first one will not be until six months from now.” The doctor said as he handed off six sheets. 

“You will awake by 0530 hours; a fruit bowl and some water or tea will be left for you all in your living space for a snack, and will report to the main hall here by 0600 for your morning warm up. That will be usage of the gym followed by a thirty kilometre run and finally five laps of the new obstacle course built behind this building. You will be doing this under normal conditions whether rain, sleet or snow, however you will also be running this with the soldiers. If you see them do something on the course to help them speed through it I would watch, and learn and try it out myself.” He said with a smile as the soldiers behind him beamed.   
“By 0830 you will go for breakfast as normal and return to the hall for 0900 for your first morning class. Here you will be split into two groups of 3, one group will go with Yakov for lessons in the shooting range and the other will start hand to hand combat and weapons combat with Stepan until your lunch at 1200. You will swap instructors every fortnight, the two groups will be Anya, Galina and Irina as one, and Svetlana, Yelena and Natalia as the other.” The doctor continued as the girls looked at one another.   
“You will have ordinary learning classes after lunch at 1300 until 1500 as stated on your timetable. Your classroom is located upstairs on the first floor above the hall, down the opposite corridor away from your dormitory. By 1500 you will return to your groups of three and will swap session, the group having done the shooting range will now be doing hand to hand combat and vice versa. At 1800 it will be dinner time and you will have until 1900 of free time before you will do evening dance classes or gymnastics lessons between 1900-2100. By then you will be finished for the evening and will have supper brought into the building into the small living room area in your dormitory as you are used to. Lights out is at the usual time of 2230. Everything clear?” Doctor Fennhoff asked.   
“Yes doctor.” The girls replied.   
“Well then. Today is just a light day so that Stepan and Yakov can judge where you are at in your training. All six of you will stay here for now and start hand to hand combat. Follow your time table and everyone meet back up here at 1500 and we will assess your shooting on the range on basement level one in the hall here before we assess your sniping skills. Well then, that’s everything for now. I’ll be popping in at regular intervals but right now I most probably need to go and talk to general Dreykov about Natalia’s little show earlier. You may have just saved many other future operatives today Natalia in your show of strength. Alright, enjoy. Go easy on my boys girls.” The doctor said with a laugh, facing the soldier’s more so than the girls as he shook his head and moved off to leave the hall. All eight of them waited until they heard the doors slam shut before both soldiers nodded and moved over towards the mats in the middle of the hall. 

The six little girls just stood still as both men murmured to each other on the mat. Stepan nodded at something Yakov said and moved to the middle of the mat as Yakov moved to the outside of the mat. Stepan turned to face the girls and outstretched his hand, waving for them to come forward.   
“Its alright girls, we’re just going to assess your skills first. It’ll help us see what we have to work with and what level you are at.” Yakov spoke up.   
“Natalia, would you like to fight first. We’ll work with hand to hand first then assess knife skills.” Stepan spoke up.   
“Yes Kapitan.” She said as she approached the mat.   
“No, we are siblings now. Strengthened by our serums. We are survivors. When like this, just us, doctor Fennhoff included, we are just Stepan and Yakov.” Stepan shook his head. Being called his codename by the little girl didn’t feel right, felt to formal. For the girls to learn, they had to feel equal, that they would treat them kindly, that they did not need to fear them. They would learn better from them if they felt like they could approach them both without fear holding them back.  
“Call us our codenames when around the matrons and general Dreykov.” Yakov nodded in approval as he waved the remaining five girls over to his side.   
“Yes Yakov.” The five girls smiled at their two new brothers.  
“Good, the rules are, ten rounds of hand to hand each. Five with me, then five with Yakov. Once everyone has been assessed we will repeat with knives and perhaps garrotte wire.” The blonde on the mat conferred, looking at Yakov.   
“Fine, they can use the garrotte. They can use it against you then, and only you.” He huffed rolling his eyes. Getting giggles from the girls.   
“They press on the wires connecting to my nervous system.” Yasha informed them with all seriousness.   
“Your just a baby. It doesn’t bother me.” Stepan snorted only for Yakov to flip him the bird.   
“This girl’s is a western insult. It means to go fuck one’s self. Like Stepan should.” Yakov explained. “Don’t do that around your superiors; now let’s get a move on.”  
“Yes. Natalia, Start.” Stepan nodded and turned to the smallest girl of the group on the mat in front of him. 

The young red head nodded and made to circle him, studying her opponent. She wound up charging at him, ducking under his grab and using his bent defensive posture as a frame to climb up on, trying to go for his neck. She was thrown to the ground in seconds as she grabber his flesh arm and proceeded to use his bent knee to push herself into a better position. The metal arm shoved into her stomach hard and knocked her off balance. With a flick of his flesh arm she was down on the ground.  
“Down. Nine more rounds. You were going to go for the neck, good. You listened to Yakov telling you one of our weak spots. In a real fight you won’t have information like that so you will need to seek it out. Now, again.” Stepan ordered as Natalia got up and charged once more. This time she slid through his legs, using her small size to her advantage and leaped up behind him. She was caught as her instructor turned around and grabbed her as she landed on him. She made to claw at him with her nails.   
“Good, you’re taking advantage of the serum already. But you’re putting too much strength into your jump, giving me time to turn around. You will learn however Kotenok, you’ll grow into your claws.”   
“Kitten?” Natalia pouted angrily as the others laughed. Yakov was rolling on the floor.  
“You’re the one clawing at me like an angry kitten.” Stepan chuckled as he set her down. Natalia said nothing but pouted at him angrily. “Come on, round three.” Stepka chuckled. 

Each round lasted a little longer than the last, Natalia lasted longer against Stepka. Yet he wasn’t fighting, just dodging and assessing. Each time Natalia got nothing more in than a scratch or punch in which left nothing but a red mark on Stepan which was gone within a minute. But she wowed her fellow widows with her speed and gymnastics… and her clumsiness at a few missed grapples and miss timed throws. An opponent that could match her speed was throwing her off. It was the same when he swapped with Yakov who swapped with him after the fifth round. After ten rounds Natalia swapped out for Yelena. Her full spar hadn’t lasted anywhere near ten minutes. By a quarter past ten all six girls had been tested. Yasha and Stepka nodded and pulled out a set of dulled yet balanced knives. 

“Alright, now we are going to repeat but with a knife this time. A knife will always be your best friend in close quarters combat when you’re out of ammo in your gun. The question is how good are you? What faults and bad habits do you have?” Yasha spoke up as he handed the knives over to each girl.   
“A weighted unbalanced knife is good for close quarters combat, a balanced one is better; however a balanced weighted knife is the best as you will be able to throw it at a target without the need to get close, and as spies and assassins, distance is always the best approach. If you can take out a target before they notice you the better, it can mean the difference between life and death.” Stepka added as he lifted a dulled blade for himself.   
“Knifes can be used to slit your targets throat and can make for quiet kills. Quiet kills means you will have more time to get to a target without alerting guards or western operatives. They are the best choice of weapon for quick silent kills that leave no distinct marker or calling tag. Meaning what girls?” Yakov asked as he pointed to them.   
“No kill can be traced to an operative or organisation.” Anya spoke up first.   
“Protecting the leviathan and Red room.” Svetlana informed.  
“And build tensions between different intelligence organisations.” Natalia added with a smile.   
“Good, same order as last time girls. Natalia step up please. Five rounds with me, five rounds with Yasha. After this it’s lunch, then classes and your back with us at 1500 for shooting.” Stepan spoke  
“Yasha?” Irina asked. 

“It’s a nickname. Stepan and doctor Fennhoff call me Yasha; I call Stepan, Stepka, and sometime Styopa. Impress us and we might let you call us that.” Yakov spoke up as he nodded towards his brother and partner. The six little girls beamed at their kindness. Their enthusiasm was palpable and made both men smile. It was nice to train with these young girls and their enthusiasm to impress and become the best, a far cry from the coldness their handlers and accompanying squads give them. It made them feel human again.   
After another Hour and a half, time was up for the class as the bell sounded through the compound, signalling lunch. All six girls had there turns against both there trainers with the knives and it resulted in the same scores as there hand to hand combat assessment. One or two small Knicks landed on either Yakov or Stepan but that was all. The most damage any of the girls did was the slice in Stepan t-shirt from where Natalia got close. She was the only one to get a hit on either soldier. Both Stepan and Yakov waved the girls off for lunch, both reporting back to their own quarters for their daily nutritional shakes. 

“Meet us in basement level 1 for shooting practice after class. Place the knives onto the table and we will see you then.” Yasha spoke as the girls ran off for lunch as Stepan gathered up the equipment and set it on one of the equipment shelves before both of them headed off to their quarters on the far side of the building.   
The girls ran off towards the canteen building on the other side of the complex, leaving the two men to tidy up the gym and head to their own accommodation on base for their own spot of lunch. They slipped out of the gym and made their way up the main stairs leading to the first floor, where a handful of living quarters where stationed. Walking past a corridor of five identical dormitories, only one occupied however, before turning off down a corridor leading to the back end of the complex through a set of guarded double doors. They too were in a dormitory on the first floor of the building, but far away from the girls, for privacy reasons, and far more security. Yasha pulled out a key and opened the door whilst Stepan punched in a ten number security code. Double security for the red room’s assurance that the red guards most priced assets, should the guards fail, would be safe if other intelligence agency’s got word of them.

The doctor had their lunch sorted earlier and placed them into the refrigerator unit both of them had in their shared apartment unit in the complex. A light yet strong meal of Rassolnik, and smaller portions of their nutrient shakes. The soup was in both men’s opinion was very strong and sat heavily in their stomachs. They were so used to drinking shakes to provide them nutrient that the change to solid foods had unbalanced them a bit. However doctor Fennhoff saw to it that both of them didn’t get sick, gently bringing them soft, light solid foods such as a watered down porridge for breakfast, weak broth soups and overly steamed soft mostly flavourless veg like carrots, broccoli and potatoes. Most meat except small amounts of chicken was too strong for their stomachs to handle. The reasoning behind it was that they would be with the red room for years, continually feeding them with nutrient shakes was not needed as both would not be burning up nearly the vast amount of calories they would when on a Red Guard operation. 

A small sparsely furnished living room with a sofa, a table and a wired radio, a kitchenette, a bathroom and then their single bedroom with a large double bed for both soldiers to share. The doctor had arranged there accommodation for when they were out of the ice. There closeness was encouraged and rewarded as both men were given a single double bed for both of them to rest in. They were allowed to continue their nightly activities with one another as long as it didn’t affect their training or usages. There sterilisation within the third day of them being on the compound made sure that there wouldn’t be any surprises in the long run. But for now both men just sat down in their living room taking their lunch. Both curling up together on their sofa, both relaxing in each other’s warmth as there soup warmed there insides. A far cry from the cold snow that gripped the compound tightly. Both pondering the future they will have with the girls.

The girls went off for a peaceful lunch, with rations three times the amount there peers received. There enhanced bodies needing the extra calories. Many girls looked on longingly at the sheer amount of good food laden on their plates and the many bottles of water they were given. None of them complained however, the events of that morning was a warning enough about those six girls. The six of them cleared there plates of food in record time before running back to their building on the compound. All six of them laughing as they sat outside the main door chatting with one another, not caring about the harsh cold of winter that swept through them. For the rest of lunch until the bell sounded, signalling class time. 

There new classroom was a lot larger and yet at the same time it was much darker. There were no windows in this room. There was the usual black chalkboard against one wall and the pull down screen for the projector for when they were required to watch American films, to understand the duties expected of a capitalist woman. This room however, had all six of their desks lined up one beside the other facing the board. There was no rows of desks like in there old classroom. Doctor Fennhoff and matron Lebedev soon walked in just as the girls took a desk, they went in age order, similar to how they did in there old class too. 

“Good afternoon girls.” The doctor smiled.   
“Good afternoon doctor.” Came six excited and happy replies, all eager to see the doctor. “Good afternoon Matron Lebedev.”   
“Ready to get back to your studies girls?” the matron asked with a positive smile.   
“Yes Matron Lebedev.” They nodded wholeheartedly. There matron smiled back, pleased to be working with the best the red room had to offer and teach them.   
“Well then girls, before we start class, we should discuss what will be going on in these classes from now on. Yes you will continue to be taught by Matron Lebedev; however, her codename has now changed as part of the operation.”

“I will still be Matron Lebedev to you when I unlock your cuffs in the morning and when I cuff you all in at night, and in class. However with Natalia’s display of strength, general Dreykov has decided that my new codename will be Madame B. It is short for Black widow, such as you all are now. The title reflects the privilege I have been given to oversee your training. The soldiers will take your more physical lessons but I will be teaching you the subtleties and feminism qualities that will be needed for you to become the ultimate operatives besides the soldiers. When in public around the facility, when in front of any superior who is not doctor Fennhoff, operative and student you will address me as such. When we are by ourselves it will be matron Lebedev my girls.” The woman smiled. 

“Yes matron Lebedev.” The six girls replied, all looking happily towards her. Excitement bubbling in all of them that they helped there matron receive a promotion.   
“Yes, good girls. Now, your classes will be different from now on. I myself have drafted the syllabus that each of you will be working with from today until the day you graduate. You will all continue your lessons on western etiquette, western culture and food, and western entertainment. However, we will also in this class be tasking you with learning how to disarm a bomb, from a simple landmine to a nuclear weapon. You will also be receiving similar interrogation resistance training and interrogation and torture lessons that the Red Guard gave our winter soldiers. As you will be spies, these classes will be most necessary for not only your survival but your sisters as well girls. By being able to withstand western interrogation techniques you will be able to pass as a simple civilian. This along with lessons on hiding in plain sight you will become the most dangerous group of spies in the world, alongside your brothers the winter soldiers.” The doctor said.   
“Now that we have established what you will be studying over the next few months and years it’s time we get started on your new studies girls.” Matron Lebedev, now Madame B said with a smile. 

As the bell went at 1500 hours all six girls grinned as they left the classroom, waving goodbye to the good doctor for the day. He would only really be seeing them at morning warm up, and during classes, unless it was a test day for the girls. Both the doctor and general Dreykov would be overseeing there annual progress tests from now on instead of the matrons. Madame B smiled and said she would see the girls for their evening dance class as she sent them on back down to their next lessons with the soldiers. All of them looked excited as they made their way down to their new shooting range. One separate from the one they were used to when they trained with the rest of the girls. 

This range was split into two areas. A standard shooting range for guns from the smallest pistol to an assault rifle, and an urban setting of fake houses and buildings. They followed the instructions there tutors had given them earlier and entered the basement. There tutors where nowhere in sight, leaving the girls wondering what to do.  
“Welcome back girls.” Was whispered into their ears, getting all six to jump, whilst there tutors laughed. Leaving all six stunned.   
Yasha was sniggering whilst Stepka rolled his eyes. 

“How did you sneak up on us?” Yelena demanded as she glared at them.   
“We took advantage of our surroundings, look up at the ceiling.” Stepan instructed, getting the girls to look upwards warily. All they saw was rows of piping stretched across the ceiling.   
“All there is is just piping.” Svetlana sighed in frustration.

“The first thing your enemies will do is secure a room. What they mostly won’t do immediately is look up. Like all of you failed to do.” Yasha input.   
“We are to train you to be the best, from now on, when you enter a room make sure it is secure first, the more subtle you can be about it the better. Use all your spaces to your advantage.” Stepan added with a nod as he walked over to the closest gun rack, picking up the smallest pistol they had. The standard Makarov pistol recently introduced but was quickly the standard smallest pistol assigned to both groups of leviathan operators. It was small enough to fit effortlessly into a small handbag or purse without being detected. Perfect for undercover operators.   
“Pick up a Makarov pistol, and two magazines, and then line up on the markers. The first magazine is to assess your shooting from a standing point; the second magazine is for the targets on the course next to the range.” Stepan informed as he waved the girls forward. 

“you will each take two shots at a time, starting with the new standard Makarov pistol, then repeat for the tokarev pistol. We will also be using an AK-47 and an AK RPD light machine gun in the same way. After you have used these weapons we will take you all outside to the sniper range where you will take a magazine each for a Simonov self-loading carbine and a standard Mosin-Nagant. Understand girls?” Yakov smiled as he watched the girls take their guns and move to line up. With a smile, all of the girls took their mark and waited for the alarm to sound before opening fire. Within seconds it was over, all the girls where releasing there empty magazines and hitting on the safety as there instructors walked over to the line-up of targets. Some girls where wide, just missing some of the targets vital points or just clipping them, others where perfect and spot on.   
“Obstacle courses, Natalia first, go.” Stepan yelled as he and Yakov looked at each other. They watched as the youngest of the group inserted her second magazine into her pistol and take off towards the obstacle course. After two minutes she had finished running and Yasha swept through the course, collecting the paper targets and replacing them as he went, setting it up for the next girl, with Stepan swapping the targets out, both swapping turns after each girl. 

After fifteen minutes each girl had gone and there instructors where looking over each group of targets belonging to each girl. They nodded and waved to the girls to line up and take there next gun and repeat it all again. The range first, then the obstacle course. By the time they were done the smell of gun smoke was strong in the air. Not that it bothered the six girls or there instructors. They were more than used to it by this stage.   
The girls stood diligently in line as there instructors went over the results from the two pistols and two assault rifles. All wondering if they would be punished for their bad shots. Yakov was the first of the two to look up at them and speak up. 

“That was some good shooting girls. It’s not the best we’ve seen, but your young, you have time to improve.” The brunette said with a kind smile.   
“That’s why we are here. We will go over your results tomorrow with each of you and point out areas for improvement and techniques to use to insure your shot it the best possible.” Stepan replied with an equally warm smile.   
“We will help ensure that you girls are as good as us by the time you graduate. If not better.” Yakov added with a smirk.   
“Well then, girls grab a Simonov and a mosin nagant and one round of ammo each and make your way out to the sniper range.” Stepan instructed as he walked over and picked up a mosin-nagant, handing it off to the nearest girl, who happened to be Galina. They nodded as they moved over to the rack which held the snipers and lifted the two weapons each, throwing them against their shoulders as they moved out of there.   
The girls and their instructors left the compound building and walked out of the main complex area, through a thick clump of trees. Behind these trees was a five hundred meter long range.   
“You girls are at the age where you have only recently been introduced to these higher calibre weapons yes?” Stepan asked.   
“Yes Kapitan.” Irina nodded as she spoke up for the girls. 

“So gather round me and Yakov first, we’ll show you what we are looking you to show us.” The blonde instructor spoke as he handed his partner the mosin and took the Simonov.   
“Stepan will start you all off with the Simonov.” Yakov spoke up as his partner walked over to the start line from where he would be shooting from. “Choose a stance that feels comfortable for you to be able to handle, this can be lying down, kneeling or standing straight up.” The brunette spoke up as his partner bent down to his knees, giving the tiny little girls a chance to see what he was doing. It was a cute little display watching the six little girl’s crowd around Stepan, all eager to learn and show off their knowledge.   
There instructors made sure that the girls didn’t feel bad for their shots, reminding them that they were only beginners and that they still had lots to learn. It was odd for the six young girls, they had never received such a kindness before and it baffled both there instructors. Did the red room not know that you where to treat children with kindness? That through showing love and support to help them develop and validation of their feelings, would help the girls grow into better spies, better operatives like them. Doctor Fennhoff had helped them through the same techniques when they came back from there imprisonment after the war. They were the most feared operatives of the Red Guard, the most successful as well. 

Both instructors vowed they would show these six young girls that same support that the doctor showed them. They would become better people for it. They would become confident in their skills, believe in themselves and have the confidence to succeed as the best spies to ever graduate the red room. They would see to it that this group of enhanced girls gains the skills they need to survive. They would treat them like the little sisters they never had. When they saw that the sharp biting cold of a Russian winter was starting to affect the group of girls they decided to end the class. After all, they had all shot off their rifles and the targets where collected. There was no need to keep them out here much longer as the cold and darkness began to settle in; the girls weren’t dressed in the right clothes or gear to be out in the cold for too long. A mistake they would rectify for future lessons, Stepka thought, reminding him to warn the girls in advance for when they were required to do outside training in the winter. 

As the evening went on and the cold temperatures began to bite, all six girls and their two instructors returned to the large bricked compound building. All making their way back down into the basement level to the shooting range. Stepan opened up the weapons rack and oversaw handing out rags and oil to the six girls in front of him as he threw a rag towards his partner. The oil covered rag hit Yakov in the face, getting the girls to laugh as Yakov glared back at Stepan. 

“We have ten minutes left before you go off to dinner; you have time to clean your rifle. If you are having trouble, watch myself and Yakov and we will help you, but we expect you to learn to do this as quickly as you can do a pistol. Once done, put the rifles back on the rack in their place and place the rags back into the box.”  
“We hope you have a nice dinner, and hope none of the other girls are stupid enough to pick a fight with you six.” Yakov chuckled. “We’ll see you all again after dinner for dance classes. You will be dancing beside us to get used to dancing with a male partner.” The brunette spoke up.   
“Get to cleaning though, the quicker you get those guns cleaned the sooner you can go wash up for dinner.” Stepan chuckled.   
“Yes Stepan.” The girls cheered as six heads dove down into their work cleaning the large sniper rifles in their laps.   
With a chuckle, Stepan moved to sit down next to Yakov and the pair watched as the six girls took apart there rifles and cleaned them quickly. Yakov snorted as he watched their tiny Lilith hands run over the large pieces of the guns and quickly made work starting on his, taking his gun apart, cleaning the barrel and reassembling it in less than one and a half minutes. The few girls that watched awed at his speed, Yelena and Natalia ignored the demonstration and continued on their own rifles, beginning to piece them together again. The youngest widows quickly got up and placed their guns onto their racks and bowed to their instructors. 

“Yelena, Natalia, your dismissed, see you for dance this evening.” Stepan spoke up as Yakov smiled.   
The rest of the girls quickly followed suite as the youngest widows ran out of the shooting range, rushing to the nearest bathroom to get freshened up and wash away the gun powder residue and oil that greased their hands. Yakov laughed as the four other girls clambered over their guns and placed them on the racks. Running out behind their younger classmates.   
“Stepka?”   
“Hmm, yes?”  
“What do you think of the girls?” The brunette asked.   
“Their something…”  
“Yeah… they are.”   
“I like the red head and her partner.”  
“Yeah the blonde. Both of them are going to go far.”   
“They remind me of us. Only instead of giving Uncle Johann a heart attack they’ll try their best to give us heart attacks.” Stepan chuckled as he and Yakov left the shooting hall, Yakov pushing him into the door frame with a snort. 

Both let out a chuckle as they disappeared off to their room once again for their own dinner and to get changed into their gear for dancing. They didn’t have to worry about teaching the girl’s ballet; Madame B and other instructors have drilled the girls in dancing from the moment they were able to walk. It would be a slower evening but it would bring both men happiness for a change… it had been a while since they had last danced, there mission before the red room and collecting the serum had been the last time they danced. It was also why there hair had been cut and styled. A month on their hair began to show the first signs of growing out. Something both looked forward too. They missed the long hair, and besides, who would believe that the world’s greatest assassins would look like homeless street beggars. It made a great disguise.   
Both had more of the Rassolnik that the doctor had made for them in the morning, and smaller portions of their nutrient shakes. To their surprise, the doctor was in there heating it up for them. 

“Evening boys. I hope you’ve had an exciting day?”  
“We have Uncle Johann.” Stepan smiled as he took his bowl and filled it with the stew, Yakov behind him waiting for his turn.   
“That’s good boys. It’s a shame we didn’t get the entire class of thirty but I hope those six where manageable. It might have been a struggle with the full thirty. So what do you think of them.” The elder man asked.  
“There confident in their skills, some overconfident. That has already been rectified.” Stepan informed him immediately  
“There energetic, and sly.” Yakov added after he took a bite of the stew.   
“Sneaky and willing to push themselves.”  
“Some bad habits that we will need to iron out but there is plenty of potential.”  
“That is good to hear my boys. I do like those six little rambunctious girls; they remind me of the pair of you a lot. Perhaps that’s why they survived when many did not.” The doctor sighed as he looked at them both with a fond smile. “But they are in good hands; I don’t think there are any better teachers in the union to help them become the best spies. But remember boys, you are there teachers first and foremost. I won’t discourage any bonds you build with the six little girls, they are your serum enhanced sisters after all, but I need you both to remember that once Natalia, the youngest of them graduates in six years, there isn’t a high chance that either of you will be paired up with them again, for both training and missions. You will most likely at the least work upon information they gather but possibly never interact with them immediately after they graduate. I’m telling you both these now because I don’t need the pair of you getting hurt. You can care for them, love them, but don’t let it destroy you. There will come a day when you both will need to let them go. Not only for your own good, but for the good of the red guard and hydra.” The doctor told them solemnly. 

“Perhaps, perhaps not, maybe we will get lucky and get to see them again. But we will do what we can to ensure they become the best …after us.” Yakov spoke up as he and Stepan nodded. The doctor snorted as he looked at the two.  
“There are my optimistic boys. Now go on, finish your dinner and go down to the hall. There are six little girls waiting to dance with their big brothers.” The doctor barked a laugh as he smiled at them both. Both men ate as quickly as their stomachs would allow before ditching there bowls in the sink as they went to get changed into their leggings, tank tops and flat shoes. The doctor watched and shook his head as both made their way downstairs to the main hall. A twisted smile plastered his face, he wondered what Chester Philips would think if he were to ever see two of his finest soldiers turned into completely different people, supporting and aiding there enemy. The good men where gone and replaced with perfect soldiers. 

Both men had ran around the back of the hall in the main building, having moved some of the equipment left out in the hall to create a dance area big enough for eight. Both had taken to doing stretches and warm ups whilst they waited for the six young widow students. There evening classes didn’t start until seven but all six girls came bouncing into the hall at a quarter to the hour. All six in bouncing black tutus and leotards and tights, not to mention the well-worn pointe shoes that would perhaps last for maybe another month at most before they would be replaced.  
“Good evening girls, did you all have a good dinner?” Stepan asked as he and Yakov continued their stretches, looking at the six girls who were aweing at them. They had never before danced with a male partner or even seen a male ballet dancer. Tonight would be there first lessons with a partner of the opposite gender.   
“Dinner was great, the servers piled up our plates with carrots, parsnips, pea’s, turnips, cabbage and potatoes they gave us stuffing and huge portions of chicken with our Julienne.” Svetlana cheered happily as she and the others moved to begin there stretches.   
“They gave us a huge helping of gravy for our potatoes.” Galina added with glee.  
“We even got dessert again, they gave us Pastila.” Yelena added with a smile as she looked at Natalia. They only received dessert at Sunday dinner; they would usually just receive fruit or a fruit salad during the week. It was a reward for placing many of Shostakov’s remaining loyal girls in there place.  
Once the bell went off as the clock on the wall struck seven, Madame B walked into the hall to begin the evening class. Stepan and Yakov stopped there stretches and moved to stand next to her. 

“Well good evening girls, and good evening soldiers.” The matron said with a pleased smile.   
“Good evening Madame B, the girls are warmed up and we ready to begin.” Stepan informed her as he and Yakov stood up straight and allowed the matron to begin the ballet class. The six girls smiling with excitement as they move to their marks. All nine people in the room smiled as the matron turned on the music. 

The evenings hours moved on and soon it was late. The girls had retreated to their room as the evening dance class came to an end. All six where tired after the past two hours of lifts and technical dance moves they now had to learn as they retreated off to their dormitory as soon as Madame B dismissed them after class. Dancing with a male partner was very different to dancing solo and just as demanding. Most of them grabbed a piece of fruit from the bowl in there small kitchenette as they awaited the canteen servers to arrive with their supper.   
“So this is it. The beginning of our new lives.” Anya said as she climbed onto the nearest sofa.   
“Yeah… We are Black widows.” Galina said just as wordlessly.   
“We have a few years to go before we are truly black widows.” Svetlana chuckled.   
“We all have a lot to work on before they’ll let us out for missions.” Irina said.   
“But we have made it. The have given us the winter soldiers as our trainers. They’ve only been here twice before.” Yelena spoke up.   
“Yeah, they were the final test for some of the girls two years ago weren’t they.” Svetlana added.   
“Yeah, they killed the entire class upon failing and came back last year; I heard half of the class last year failed too.” Galina spoke up.  
“I’ve heard rumours from older matrons that they don’t exist. They are so good that only the heads of leviathan and the K.G.B knew about them.” Anya added.  
“So there like ghosts. They don’t exist and are only rumours. Doctor Fennhoff must have kept them very well protected and trained when they grew up. Everyone in the upper echelon knows of Doctor Fennhoff I’m surprised there never was rumours of him having sons.” Natalia finally spoke up as she thought back over there day. “They were sizing us up today.” She said.   
“They really do want to make us the best don’t they?” Yelena spoke up as she looked at her classmate.   
“Well there’s no better teachers than the once that don’t exist.” Irina giggled as she looked at them. 

After a few seconds all the girls burst out into giggles. All of them where tired and curled up on the sofas as the servers came in with their evening supper. They wolfed down what they could before they all headed off to the bathroom to freshen up for the evening and use the facilities. After all it was a long night before the morning. By ten o’clock it was time for lights out. All six girls had made their way to their beds and where waiting on Madame B to come and cuff them in for the night. The matron came in right on the clock and within minutes had all six girls cuffed into their beds for the night, turning the lights off as she left. 

Leaving them all in darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All names and there spelling are taken from there Russian counterparts and food is all Russian. If I have these wrong I apologize.
> 
> the red room daily time table for there widow students.   
> 0530= morning wake up.  
> 0600-0830=morning warm up and gym session, either accommodates dancing or gymnastics or work out sessions for the day ahead.  
> 0830-0900= breakfast  
> 0900-1200= morning training session with the winter soldiers, three widows per teacher and they swap over every two weeks to gain the most potential from there learning.   
> 1200-1300= lunch  
> 1300-1500= educational classes  
> 1500-1800= afternoon training session with winter soldiers.   
> 1800-1900= dinner  
> 1900-2100= evening warm up and gym session, mostly dance classes or gymnastics time.  
> 2100-2230= Supper and own time, usually girls spend this time doing there own training and drills or futhering there studys.  
> 2230= lights out. 
> 
> the girls got to be bratty to the old red room favourites who used to bully and mock them. 
> 
> further notes: The winter soldiers reside in the same compound building as the widows as it is the most guarded and secure building in the facility, the best way to ensure that not only the red rooms widows are safe from outsiders but that the red guard's winter soldiers are protected too. but both are kept in two different secured ends in the event the soldiers go rogue and attempt to take the girls with them. 
> 
> Hydra sends more funds to the red room over the years and soon the red room is just as much hydra's as it is the kgb's. by the end of the widow training program the red room are just as loyal to hydra as they are there own Russian superiors.


	13. Chapter 13: Times are a changing.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time jump between each year that the girls are in training, each showing a slice of there life and training to become some of the most fierce operatives. One scene a year showing the progression of our six girls and there training. 
> 
> Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all. Or happy holidays to what ever you celebrate at this time of year. 
> 
> A few Easter eggs thrown into this chapter so comment below if you find them.  
> Clues: Indiana Jones character, Russian soldier who struck fear into there enemies with just hearing there gun ring out and a character from the past making a return.
> 
> Enjoy this 15000 word chapter, and thanks for your continued support.

1957

June.

“Again!”  
“Yes Kapitan.” Replied six sweaty tired young girls.  
The six young black widow operatives, there trainers the winter soldiers, and the heads of the red room, stood in the middle of the compounds playing fields. They were being tested. Not just the six young enhanced students but there teachers too.  
All six girls where running drills through the large obstacle course, followed by a four hundred meter sprint and followed up by sparing with their partner. Galina and Irina where partnered together as the eldest of the group, followed by the middle children Anya and Svetlana, and the youngest of the six Yelena and Natalia where partnered together in there sparing. They were being examined by Doctor Fennhoff, General Dreykov, General Karpov, and two high up members of the KGB and leviathan branch.  
“Enough.” Echoed the order from one of general Dreykov higher ups.  
“We have seen enough soldiers, Generals, doctor.” General Dreykov spoke up. The leviathan leader overlooking the red room was pleased with the display of strength and progress from the black widow project, and his KGB leaders seemed just as pleased. 

The girls and their teachers moved to stand in their attention position, all lined up in a straight line in front of their examiners, the winter soldiers saluting first, followed by the widow students as they took to their stand.  
“Doctor Fennhoff, General Dreykov, General Karpov, this is outstanding work.”  
“To believe it has only been six months since they started training. It is a miraculous state. They are far more advanced than many of our current field operatives.”  
“It is the serums, they allow them to learn quicker and builds muscle memory ten times faster than any normal soldier or spy.” The doctor said with a pleasant smile.  
“We are pleased with what we see here. These girls truly are remarkable. Continue with the good work doctor. We can expect great things from you girls in the future.” They instructed.  
The six widow students and their two instructors stood in position as the two leaders nodded, shook hands and made their way back to their transports. 

As the officers made their way to their transports after the day long examination, the generals Dreykov and Karpov, doctor Fennhoff and Madame B approached there eight enhanced assets.  
“Excellent work my young widows, and excellent work from our soldiers. You may continue your training.” General Dreykov said proudly. “General Karpov, the red room is thankful to the red guard in helping us train our students.”  
“It is the red guards pleasure Dreykov. Our aims are the same; the red room’s operatives bring the Red Guard valuable information and the Red Guard act upon it. It is only fair we return the favour and provide training to ensure red room doesn’t have another… international incident, not that you would allow that Dreykov.” The soldiers general replied as he saluted his two soldiers.  
“But for now, girls you will continue your training with Madame B for the next week. Our winter soldiers are required on an assassination by our allies.” Doctor Fennhoff spoke up as he and Madame B stood forward.  
“Of course doctor, general. Girls, dismissed, head to your classroom and wait for Madame B and the doctor before you will resume your daily lessons.” Dreykov ordered. The general was slightly older than Karpov by a couple years but just as fierce. His reputation through the K.G.B was just as imposing as Karpov. “Soldiers, go with general Karpov to your mission briefing. We wish you the best and shall see you back here within the week. Good luck soldiers.” The general said as his lip curled slightly. He had grown rather fond of seeing both imposing men on the compound. They made even his own sons look like pansies. Their dedication to caring and training the widows was something he was pleased with and was fond of dropping in to their training sessions once or twice a week. 

After a week and a well-placed bullet from Stepka, both men were back on Russian soil, both having been to Guatemala. The former president Carlos Castillo Armas had been very eager to gain America’s alliance, neither hydra or the K.G.B could allow for that so the soldiers were sent to take him out. Yakov was placed in an advantage point facing the presidents evening walk path whilst Stepka killed and impersonated a guard placed on that stretch of path. Stepka shot him twice, once in the head and a second in the heart and fled, placing the body of the guard in a prime location to be found as he fired a third shot, to impose the suspicion of suicide. Both men fled the city within an hour.  
It didn’t take much longer after the assassination before they boarded the first of three planes. The first flight took them from northern Guatemala to eastern Brazil, to an air strip along the Atlantic Ocean. From there second flight took them to Guinea-Bissau to north Sudan. From there they hopped on their final flight to Belarus, there they would soon return to red room base, back to their sisters with smiles on their faces. Both of them tired from travelling and performing their mission but also eager and ready to get back to training with the girls. 

1957

January 

Loud ticking echoed through a dark, dank room. The smell of damp and mould was very strong and if Natalia wasn’t used to it, it would have overwhelmed her sense of smell. She awoke in this cell hours ago in only her nightgown, leaving her a little chilly. She wasn’t alone in the cell however. There was a single desk and chair, and a box sitting on it with a set of tools. After five minutes of staring at the box it activated. Beginning to tick. Knowing what it was she sat down at the desk. The ten year old picked up a set of cutters on the desk she was sat at. This was the first test of the new year. To defuse the ticking bomb. She didn’t know whether her sisters had passed or not.  
She quickly looked over the wires and put the sharp edge of the cutters to the wire she believed would disarm it.  
She waited. Her hand steady as a surgeons as she stared down the wires and cutter.

*Snip*  
The ticking stopped and Natalia sighed. Wiping her brow. Within ten seconds the door to the cell she was in opened.  
“A pass with this test Natalia. Good work.” Madame B said as she and Doctor Fennhoff entered the room.  
“You may return to the main facility with your sisters. The soldiers are awaiting you up the stairs. You all have a ninety kilometre run to do to get back to the compound.” The doctor said. “you have an hour and a half to return to base or you will fail the second test. If you fail you will be forced to undergo conditioning with Madame B for a month.”  
“Yes Doctor, I won’t fail doctor, Madame B.” The young widow saluted and ran out of the cell.  
At the top of the stairs she saw her five sisters and two teachers. All of them where dressed in their winter training gear. Stepka handed Natalia her own gear and let her get changed into it. A pair of winter boots, warm socks, trousers, and finally a heavy woollen army jumper. Any heavier and it would overheat her.  
“Everyone follow Stepka, he will take the lead, I will follow the group.” Yakov instructed as he nodded to his partner.  
“We have one and a half hours to make it to the compound. We will be travelling through a restricted forest path; this path contains traps and pitfalls from the war. It’s our duty to avoid these and make it to the compound before the time is up.” Stepka said as he lead the way out into the darkness.  
“Its Dark.” One of the girls spoke up.  
“You are super spies, you are able to see in the darkness.” Stepka said as he pulled out a timer. “We start now.” He said as he hit the button on the timer and took off. The girls looked at him in shock for a moment before sprinting after him.  
“Damn you Stepka!” Yelena yelled as the six of them took off after him. The blonde laughed and shook his head. His eye length hair shaking as he pushed it back mid run. Yakov snorted as he took off behind the group. 

The group of eight arrived back at the compound after an hour and fifteen minutes. All the girls cold and out of breath. They just managed to pull a salute to general Dreykov as they approached him at the main gate.  
“Excellent timing girls. You have passed the first test of this year. Keep up the good work with your teachings Soldaty. Welcome home girls. I believe we can now allow you all out of compound more often for training. Good work, Hot food will be served to your dormitory. You will be allowed the weekend off to do what you want. Go to breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the normal time, and train or study with your free weekend. Goodnight my girls.” The general said as he waved to the guards, opening the first in a series of guard gates.  
“Thank you general Dreykov, good night general Dreykov.” The girls said as they saluted there superior. The soldiers did the same and ushered the six girls back into the compound. Chaperoning all of them back to there building.  
“You girls did well. You were doing eighty miles an hour.” Stepka said with a smile.  
“I didn’t realise we weren’t on the compound.” Yelena said as she and the others walk through the gates.  
“Your reward for your training. You’re the first girls to receive a test or training outside the compound before graduation. It’s a privilege to be trusted with that responsibility.” Yasha chuckled.  
“Will we get out more often?”  
“Maybe only once or twice this year. Nowhere too far from the compound however. Keep proving your loyalty and dedication to your training and the red room and to general Dreykov and perhaps we’ll be allowed to go into the nearest town for undercover practice.” Stepka said as they arrived at their building on the compound.  
There four guards were waiting on them inside the foyer area where the stairs up and down where located and the main entrance to the hall.  
“We will see you girls on Monday morning.” Stepka said as he and Yasha moved off to stand between the soldiers.  
“Good night Kapitan, Serzhant.” The girls said as they climbed the stairs up to where there dormitory was located.

The six of them stood quietly at the top of the stairs just out of view of the soldiers. They always wondered where there teachers disappeared to on a Friday night. They never saw them over the weekend, only seeing them again on the Monday morning.  
“Time to go to the chairs boys.” One of the guards said. The soldiers said nothing and just marched quietly away. The girls just looked at one another in confusion from there vantage point at the top of the stairs.

“Where do you think they go?” Anya whispered quietly as Galina grabbed them all and pushed them away from the stairs as quietly as they could.  
“And what do you think the chairs are?” Svetlana asked.  
“There probably going for maintenance. With how heavy duty their arms are I wouldn’t be surprised if they spent the whole weekend fixing them.” Yelena whispered, getting a nod from Natalia.  
“It seems the most logical. We know their arms are connected into their nerve systems. Perhaps these chairs recalibrate their arms so that there in sync with their actions and take hours to do so. That’s probably why there gone all weekend.” The red haired widow added as they entered there quarters.  
“Might explain the screams we can sometimes hear.” Galina added grimly. “It might hurt doing the initial recalibration, so much so that they scream with the horrible pain. Not like we’ll find out whether those screams are Stepka’ s and Yasha’s.  
“Maybe you could sneak down some day and find out.” Irina chuckled as she turned to the youngest of the group. “You’re the smallest of us you could crawl through the vents.” She said as she tussled Natalia’s hair.  
“No way, I’m not risking that. Who knows how I’d be punished. We just got the weekend off from normal training.” Natalia glared at them.  
“True. Maybe we could ask them some day.” Yelena asked.  
“I don’t think the soldaty would take kindly to us asking. Remember when Svetlana asked how they lost their arms. We didn’t see them for a week.” Anya said.  
“I just asked them how they lost them. I didn’t expect them to freeze and start speaking a bazaar mix of Latin, Aramaic and English on us. Sorry.” Svetlana apologized. “Why do they even know Latin, our sermons are in Russian.”  
“Perhaps Yasha’s family where Jewish, or Catholic. I know many churches still give Latin services. Doctor Fennhoff might have let him learn about his heritage. He did adopt them both.” Galina spoke up.  
“Well then let’s just try find out for ourselves without the soldiers knowing. I don’t want to trigger any memories of their time as American captives.” Natalia spoke up.  
“That sounds like a plan. We’ll see what evidence we can gather before we try to sneak off to where they spend the weekend.” Irina nodded.  
“But that could take weeks, months even.” Svetlana whined.  
“Good, the longer we draw out our investigation, the less likely we’ll be suspected of anything.” Anya nodded. The girls were in agreement as they looked at one another. They had there first assignment, find out where there teachers went every week end. 

1958 

March 

“Keep up girls.” Came the overly cheerful voice of Yasha.  
“We don’t have legs as long as yours though.” Yelena yelled from her position, huffing as she carried a small but heavy rucksack of survival gear.  
“Some of us are sinking into the snow Yasha.” Svetlana whined as there teacher stopped and turned around to look at the group.  
Stepka was two hundred meters behind him, following up the rear of the group of girls. Natalia and Anya where at the rear of the group, both of them the smallest and struggling to walk through the deep snow, Irina and Galina where in the middle of the group and Svetlana where struggling to keep up with Yasha at the front as he lead the way through the forest they were currently in. All of them in thick heavy white and grey camo trousers with thick heavy winter boots and just as thick and white heavy camo coats. They wore layers of leggings and tights and long johns under their coats. Their heads covered in ear muffs, thick winter masks and fuzzy fur ushankas strapped tightly over there heads. They had all stopped and lifted up the goggles they wore, keeping the snow and bitter winds out of their eyes. 

There teachers wore similar outfits, heavy white camo winter coats, thick heavy white winter trousers, heavy boots, and white ushankas like the girls, only there gear showed signs of wear and tear. The girls thought they looked silly with the hats, there shoulder length hair peeking below it. But what stood out for the girls were the weird black and grey heavy duty muzzle like masks there teachers wore under a pair of high tech looking goggles. It gave them both an air of mystery and struck a chord of fear in each girl. They wondered how many times did was this the face that there victims saw as they where executed.

They were doing an extended wilderness survival training session with the girls. They would be showing them basic and extreme survival skills that they themselves have had to use on previous missions. They had been taken by plane from their base to a red guard training facility in Siberia, not their own base but the nearest base from it by five hundred miles from where they then handed over the plane they had taken to the air field technicians to place it in the hangar whilst they took the girls out into the vast forest that spanned hundreds of kilometres in every direction. they had left the red room early Monday morning and would be arriving back Friday afternoon.  
“This is nothing compared to when its winter in the region girls. It’s only a foot and a half.” Yasha laughed.  
“This is the first time we’ve been in conditions like this Yasha.” Irina yelled, getting some snow to fall off the trees around her as her shout echoed through the forest.  
“This is as deep as the snow ever gets around the compound.” Galina whines.  
“Girls, me and Stepka had to walk through snow this thick to get to school.” Yasha sighed, rolling his eyes. Stepka gave out a hearty laugh and shouted back to his partner.  
“Walked for five miles, both ways, uphill and down.”  
“In the thick Moscow snow and we were grateful.”  
“Because Uncle Johann would have peppered our backsides red with the cane if we argued about it or asked to stay home.” Stepka laughed as the girls giggled at the pair.  
“Come on, we are nearly at camp for the night.” Yasha chuckled as he pulled off his mask, giving the girls a soft smile. “Just over this ridge, there’s a clearance sheltered by a small cliff and forest. 

After five minutes they reached their camp. A sheltered clearing surrounded by trees and shrubs facing the north, protecting them from the northerly winds.  
“Good, set up camp whilst Stepka gets some firewood, I will go get us some dinner.” Yakov said as he dumped his kit, picking up his flask of water and his rifle. Stepka dumped his kit next to his partners and picked out a hatchet, throwing it over his shoulder. 

“Keep your pistols on hand; there are leopards and bears in this area. Each of you has a can of bear repellent, take it out and circle the camp with it circle the camp completely and at multiple different distances but keep the camp in sight.” Stepka said as he and Yakov began to walk away from the camp. There blonde brother didn’t go too far as they could hear him begin to chop trees in the distance, whilst Yakov disappeared into the forest. Galina and Irina as the oldest of the girls took the bear repellent out of their bags and began to circle the camp. Svetlana, Anya, Yelena and Natalia began to set up camp. The younger of the two collecting stones to encircle the fire that would be in the middle of the camp whilst the middle aged children began to work on the tents and shelters. Putting the tents up first. 

After fifteen minutes in the darkening forest, Stepan came back with three trees over his shoulder. All three were of a decent thickness, as thick as a plate and a small bus in length. Then there were numerous thinner trees, the thickness of a tea cup stacked on top. The girls awed at the strength of their teacher, he was easily carrying over 700 pounds worth of weight.  
“Gather round girls, I’m going to show you some of the best fire pit builds for when you’re in the wild. I’m going to show you nine different types then my favourite type.” He said as he pulled out the hatchet and began hacking away at the thicker trees. The girls gathered around and watched as he built nine different fires in fifteen minutes. 

“All you need to do is just have plenty of logs.” Stepka said as he put together one final fire, a self-feeding fire. Stacking logs on top of one another at an angle so they would roll into the fire when the previous log was done burning. He then took the other trees and showed the girls how to build wind breaks with them, to protect their tents from strong winds. Piling the trees up into thick wall like barriers that where taller than the tents. “Once Yasha comes back we’ll explain this weekend to you all.” Stepka spoke up. After an hour, the sky had gone dark and the girls had the camp set up, with a large fire roaring. Yasha came back up towards them with two large carcasses over his shoulder. They were two large deer, which had been gutted already. Yasha handed one deer over to Stepka who pulled a thick knife out of his side holsters as he began to skin the deer in his hands. After half an hour the skins where carefully removed and to the girls disgust, the soldiers draped the skins around there shoulders fur side down.

“Keep it on, it’ll provide heat. But if you’re going to complain take the skin and stretch it over the fire for a few minutes to crisp up the underside of the fur. It gets cold, you need all the layers you can wear. So you’ll be sleeping in groups of three tonight. Huddle together for heat.

Stepan moved off to grab a set of sticks and rope. Taking the first carcass off his partner and tying it to a long thick stick. He then handed two other sticks off to Yasha who pushed them into the ground opposite of each other over the fire. Stepan then lifted the deer and placed it between each stick. This created a spit upon which the skinned deer began to cook. The rest of the evening was spent sitting around the camp fire listening to Stepka and Yasha. Telling them scary stories of western spies, and some light hearted love stories of female soldiers during the war who were rewarded with riches and fame for their service. Many of the girls loved these stories, especially the story about Lyudmila Pavlichenko, the most decorated female sniper from the war. With a dinner of cooked deer, cooked rations and tea the group of girls went to bed excited for there week of training. This would be the first week where none of the girls would be cuffed to their beds. The threat of being attacked by wild animals however deterred them from venturing far from their tents. 

As the week flew in, each girl was tired of dealing with the cold as they built up there camp more and more during the time they were not tasked with getting fresh water, going with either Yakov or Stepka for survival training. Learning how to build traps and hunt for food, finding fresh water and building shelters that where camouflaged. They needed to be prepared for anything that was expected of them in the future, wilderness survival was just another lesson. 

1959

July

The six super spies in training entered there quarters with a dejected sigh. Tired hot, sweaty and confused they all threw themselves onto the sofa’s in their living quarter. They had been having a joint class sparing session after their lunch and classes. Outside in the sweltering summer heat, as temperatures soared above record levels in the region. The sparing match was held on the grass field behind the compound building. A free for all hand to hand combat spar, held between the widow students and their teachers. Yet something had triggered Stepan, causing him to act weirdly. Doctor Fennhoff who had been watching had called there class early and let the girls go as he signalled for a group of guards to collect their teachers. This was just another one of the few instances where there teachers had been taken away by the soldiers. They knew they wouldn’t see either of them for a good week at minimum.  
Today’s incident ended up with Stepan calling Anya by a different name, “Peggy.” 

“Okay, what do we know?” Anya spoke up as all six girls gathered around there table. There classes had been called early for the weekend, and all had been sent to their room for the time being.  
“They report to a group of soldiers in the hall after twenty one hundred hours, they are then escorted down to the basement level instead of their room on this level. But we know basement level one has our shooting range and nothing else, and that there is only one more level below that, level two but none of us know how to get down to that level.” Galina spoke up  
“It has something to do with maintenance. Stepka already mentioned that they go for weekly recalibrations. So we know that there is screaming between a quarter past the hour until twenty two hundred hours every Friday night that there in the compound.” Natalia added.

“We also know from the few times they had breakdowns and fits of insanity where they relive their P.O.W time that they disappear to the basement level for treatment. There is also screaming then but for longer and then silence for a week before we see them again, and Doctor Fennhoff has entered the building with a red book.” Yelena spoke up  
“Then when they do come back they have no recollection of the incident. And now that name, Peggy. Isn’t that an American name?” Irina added, “One of his captors?”  
“It’s a nickname for Margaret as well, an English woman’s name. So could he have meant the agent? Shield director Margaret “Peggy” Carter?” Anya spoke up with a shudder, the stories about the woman where scary. Some spoke of a one woman army, others spoke of a woman so sneaky that you didn’t know she was there until she was gone, or left bodies in her wake. She would have made a ferocious Widow operative had she been Russian.

“So it’s either, they go for weekly arm re-calibrations, or arm replacements. Or the second theory that the arms control part of their brains and block out the trauma of their time as P.O.W’s, as we know from the name Peggy, they could have met and been tortured by the agent, she was working with the Americans during the war and founded America’s Shield intelligence agency. It’s easy to think this as neither do remember their time as P.O.W’s, surely they would remember something from there time as captives?” Galina spoke.  
“So, tomorrow night one of us should sneak down and see what actually goes on.” Natalia spoke up. “See if the main theory of arm recalibration or replacement is correct. If it isn’t then It is likely the memory blocker theory.”

“Natalia it has to be you. You’re their favourite. You’ve managed to impress all of the staff and are there favourite student. If they catch you, you’ll get a slap on the wrist not that that will happen.” Irina informed them  
“I’m not, don’t say things like that.” She growled.  
“It’s true though. You surprised us; you’re going to be the best out of us. I would go but I know even I wouldn’t get as far as you. Mostly because you’re the smallest of us, and are able to go down through the vents and find out.” Yelena smirked.  
“Okay… so what do we do?” Natalia said as she looked at the five other girls. The weight of their gazes pressing against her, as she looked away from them.  
“Well, we know that there will be no one in to check on us until dinner, which in cases like this is brought to us and Madame B briefs us. It’s only a quarter past four now, so you have an hour and forty five minutes before anyone comes to check on us.”  
“Okay…. If there are little guards then this should be no problem. I’ll go observe them from a distance but will try to get as close as possible to them.” Natalia said as she moved closer to their door. She looked at her sisters once before taking a deep breath and opening the door. She had a mission to complete. 

Getting down to the basement level one was easy. She only encountered one set of guards who were based at their building foyer asked her where she was going. She told them her sisters where studying but that she was going for practice at the shooting range when it was quiet. They accepted that answer and let her go. Knowing that she could be called out on this she did enter the shooting range and picked up a Makarov pistol, shooting off one magazine before placing it back and going back on her mission. The trace of gunpowder residue on the gun and her hand would prove that she was truthful and had been to the shooting range. With this in mind she stood in front of the shooting range door and began to listen to her surroundings. Letting her enhanced hearing help her find where she needed to go.

After a moment, she picked up on the screams of her teachers. They were coming from behind the shooting range on a deeper level. The furthest part of the building away from the girls and their living quarters. And yet they could still hear the screams… Natalia shivered at the thought of the pain her teachers needed to go through to be left screaming. She pushed on, travelling down a darkened corridor that went on around the back of the shooting range, leading to another set of stairs. The lights where on and flickering in the corridor below.  
She couldn’t see anyone at the bottom of the stairs and she knew there was no one behind her so she crept along the side of the stairs and down to the second level of the basement, hugging the sides of the walls as she went, hiding in the darkness. The corridor wasn’t long, perhaps twenty meters long but it didn’t matter. She didn’t want to get caught making noise or being seen so she crept as quietly as she could, the hours of training proving handy as she made no noise. 

There was a large, heavy steel door left ajar at the end of the corridor. The screams where loud and haunting now. She had found them. 

Natalia quietly pushed up to the door and looked through the crack biting her tongue as she looked into what appeared to be a laboratory. Her teachers where sitting in two large metal chairs with metal halo like contraptions covering their faces. Her eyes went wide in horror at it and she wanted to puke at the horror of it. Doctor Fennhoff was there along with a group of doctors, and two guards at the door. Natalia kept as quiet as possible as she listened in. 

“End the first cycle. Program in the medium wipe cycle. The soldiers have been wiped too leniently over these past few months. This is the sixth incident now. I’m changing their wipe patterns, after every five light wipe cycles they are to receive one medium wipe cycle.” The doctor ordered as he looked at them both. The metal halo’s powered down and retracted. “I’m going to have to re-introduce there nutritional shakes into their diet. It’s the easiest way to get the slurry of conditioning drugs into their systems.” He sighed as he handed a technician a clip board with his orders. He stared at the two shaking men restrained in the metal contraptions. 

“Stepan, Yakov, I’m afraid were going to perform a heavier wipe on you both. It won’t be a full wipe like the after mission protocols. We still require your memories of the widow assets, but it will reset you all to a more acceptable functional level. We’re going to place you both in cryo for another week to ensure the wipe sticks.” The doctor Informed as he lifted Stepan head.  
Natasha noticed Stepka’s gaze drift towards the door. He narrowed his eyes as he looked straight at her. Natalia jumped back and put her hands over her mouth and looked back into the room for a moment. She needed to run now or be caught. She looked at her to teachers once more and booked it back up the stairs. Not realising that the doctor had already turned around and spotted her fleeing form. 

Natalia booked it up the stairs as quietly as she could and as quickly as she could. Making her way back to their dormitory as soon as she could. The screams of her teachers haunting her ears as she disappeared back up stairs. 

Natalia quietly walked back into the room and was quickly pounced upon by her sisters.  
“Well?” Yelena asked. Natalia ignored them and went to sit on the sofa, curling up as she did.  
“Natalia…” Irina asked softly as she pushed the others away and sat next to her. She always was the most nurturing and caring of the group. She didn’t want Natalia to become overwhelmed “… what did you see?”  
“They erase there memories.” The red headed widow told them quietly. “They place them in large metal chairs, restrain them down, and force electricity though their heads.” She said. “It’s there screams we hear at the weekend.” She said. 

None of the girls moved of said anything. 

“They then talked about something called cryofreeze… I think they freeze them solid over the weekends. Doctor Fennhoff said it’s how there wipes stick. Its why they don’t remember any of there missions when we ask them.” She whispered quietly.  
“Are you sure?” Irina asked.  
“Positive.” Was the quiet response.  
The rest of the girls moved to sit around there sister, curling around her like protective barrier. They would keep her safe. They just sat there and thought upon their discovery until dinner time. Then they realised they were in trouble. 

At dinner time, no servers came to their room, only doctor Fennhoff, Madame B and a squad of twelve soldiers. Each with heavy duty cuffs.  
“Well, I’m surprised it took you girls this long to act.” The doctor spoke with a chuckle. “I thought you all would have been curious as to Stepan and Yakov’s weekend disappearances long before now.”

“Congratulations Natalia, you are becoming a very potent spy. However, you failed to realise just how loyal Stepan and Yakov are to me. I must congratulate you though. Even I didn’t realise you were there until Stepan told me. I thought you were nothing more than a rat.” He chuckled, proud at the teenage girls skills.  
“Very becoming of a good spy. You are all developing at much faster rates than we expected. I am pleased with you all.” Madame B spoke up. “However, Natalia did enter a restricted zone, and you girls did plan all of this over a long period of time, it’s not fair to punish just one of you.” The woman informed them as the soldiers moved towards the girls.  
“Let the guards cuff you all and make no fuss as we escort you to your punishment girls, compliance is rewarded. If you fight your punishment will be worse, not only for yourself but for your sisters.” Doctor Fennhoff spoke up. All six girls lowered their heads and moved to stand, letting the soldiers come forward and cuff them all. Two soldiers grabbed each girl and hauled them out of the room and down the building, going down to the second level basement from where Natalia had fled. 

“So you all are curious as to what happens when Stepan and Yakov disappear every weekend. You girls have figured it out now, and I’m sure Natalia has informed you all as well.” The doctor spoke as they entered the room behind the large steel doors. The girls remained silent, fearful of their punishment. “Well then, if you girls are going to remain quiet let me tell you.” The doctor spoke as the soldiers lined up, allowing the girls to have a good look at the laboratory. There were many technicians running around the place, many working on three large metal chairs, the two Natalia saw earlier and then a new third one.  
“These girls are memory wipe machines. We use them, to wipe away the memories of our Soldiers previous missions, so that if they are captured they will not be able to confirm whether or not they took part in certain missions and assassinations. This also wipes away the traumatic memories of their time as P.O.W’s with the Americans. Yet sometimes, little things will trigger them to act irrationally, and thus we wipe them. This ensures that there programming and triggers remain in place.” 

“What are triggers and programming?” Galina asked quietly.  
“They my girls are what change your brothers from your friendly teachers, into the deadly emotionless, remorseless assassins they are. They are what allow them to remain loyal and docile around there handlers and myself and what turn them into vicious and ruthless hunters when on missions. They are like attack dogs, train them to recognise the owner and they are loyal, steadfast and happy, train them to recognise an enemy, a threat, and set them loose like the rabid dogs they are.” The doctor told them as he signalled to the soldiers who pulled Galina, Irina and Anya forward, placing them in the chairs. All three had been altered to accommodate there smaller sizes. The cuffs and restraints moved further up and thick rubber cushions on the seat to act as boosters. 

“Now girls, your programming was scheduled for around your graduations, but with how you all know now about it, we can bring forward your programming as your punishment. Sadly we only have three chairs at this time, one of which does belong to the red room and was designed for you widows to have. Your programming had been coded over a year ago and saved onto these servers, now we just need to transfer it from here… into here.” The doctor said as he pointed to the large computer servers and then his own head, digging his finger into the side of his head.” The doctor said as he picked up a rubber mouth guard. The machines jolted and whined, reclining backwards as the metal plates moved over Galina, Irina and Anya’s heads. The doctor placed the mouth guard he was holding into Galina’s mouth as two technicians did the same for the other two girls. “Begin the programming.” The doctor said as the machine wound up, the plates snapping into place as they placed each girl into a vice like trap. 

Svetlana and Yelena looked away as the machines started to electrocute there sisters. The screams where terrifying. Natalia only froze in her place and watched. Her eyes never leaving the scene. 

After an hour the metal plates lifted and the screaming stopped. Galina, Irina and Anya where pulled out of the chairs, all of them unconscious and bruised. All smelling of burnt meat and O-zone, their hair singed and smoking. They were dragged out of the room and out of view as Svetlana, Yelena and Natalia where dragged into the chairs. 

“You may be the best in the compound Natalia, but you still have a long way to go before you become the best. Your efforts earlier where remarkable but you still broke protocol by entering a restricted zone. I hope we don’t have this incident again now.” The doctor said as he stood before Natalia, a rubber mouth guard in hand. Natalia bit into it as she looked at the doctor. The look he gave her chilled her, this was a far cry from the friendly grandfather figure he had been. The chairs moved to recline as Natalia heard them begin to whine, electricity charging.  
“Begin the programming.” Was the last words Natalia heard as the plates gripped her head and her world went white. 

One week later. 

“So doctor, I take it programming is in place.” General Dreykov asked as he stood before the doctor, matron and the six young girls. None of the girls blinked, each standing abnormally straight. They looked like dolls waiting for someone to play with them.  
“You can see for yourself, they are like the soldiers when they are triggered. Compliant, and loyal.” The doctor laughed, handing over a black leather back book with a red hourglass on it before moving to pet Natalia’s hair. 

“it’s remarkable. You really have outdone yourself Johann. Your work has saved leviathan, from the winter soldiers for the Red Guard, to now these six young Black widow operative. This project has been in my opinion your finest work Johann.” The general said as he looked to the elder man.  
“With the right guiding hand and gentle words you would be amazed at what a human mind can be twisted to believe. I have spent all my life dedicating myself to this area of science. The winter soldiers and now the black widows are truly my finest work.” The doctor said with a chuckle as he patted the young general’s shoulder.  
“Will they remember this?” the general asked.  
“No, I have altered their memories to have them believe that they had extra classes this week. They won’t remember seeing either soldier in the chairs either. As of right now they are fully under my commands and controls.” The doctor said as he waved to their girl’s eyes. The general looked at them all and noted all had glazed eyes, there irises glowing purple. He swallowed a lump in his throat; he never wanted to be under that sort of control.  
“And the programming will stick… in the long term.” The general asked.  
“Of course. Regular triggering will ensure that they remain active, regular wipes will also ensure it. For now, trigger them once every three months, wipe them on the low setting once every six months until there graduation, then follow the instructions in the book, they will go through the clean slate protocol at medium which will wipe there mission memories.”

“Why not full power?”  
“Full power is reserved for the soldiers to ensure that they do not remember their past lives before I began my work. As they have the stronger serums they heal faster and more thoroughly than the girls, this also includes the damage to their brains where we wipe. If the girls remember the soldiers however once they graduate whether on a mission or on base where neither soldier is involved then I recommend a full powered wipe. If they are sent on a mission with either soldier then ensure that they go through the rejog protocol. It is essentially a loop hole allowing them to remember the soldiers. If this is triggered perform a full powered wipe after every mission involving the soldiers.” The doctor informed the general sternly.  
“Of course Doctor, Thank you for the explanation, I know you have it written down in the book but it is also nice to hear your orders. Least I mistake or misinterpret the commands in later years. I understand the wipe format for the winter soldiers but I know that we are not to use it with the widows. Thank you for the clarification.” The general said. “When do you leave for the states?” 

“Doctor Zola has me down to arrive in three weeks’ time general. This project is of a timely matter. General Karpov has gotten all my paper work ready and sent to Doctor Zola.” The doctor sighed as he rubbed the heavy amethyst ring on his finger, the girl’s eyes glowing brighter as he did so.  
“I understand doctor, but is it so wise to go back to the states. Shield nearly caught you last time you were there.”  
“That was over a decade ago now Dreykov my boy. My body double was the one they thought was me and threw in prison. Doctor Kuznetsov knew the risk then and understood what the state required of him. Carter, Philips and Stark never saw my real face or hear my real voice. I should only be gone for six months at most a year. Doctor Kolesova and her husband have been relocated to the base as we speak to continue monitoring the soldiers in my absence. She was always more level headed than Colonel Irina Spalko, both of which I taught my trade. Yet Doctor Kolesova always was the better of the two. It’s possibly what drove Spalko mad and drove to her disappearance in the amazon jungle. Akator, ha, only Spalko would have ever believed there was something to it. If it wasn’t for the fact she was naturally gifted with hypnosis I would have sent her to the Looney bin years ago, no matter what Stalin ordered. She was just as mad as he was at time. It’s possibly why he favoured her.” The doctor laughed.  
“Not because she was easy on the eyes then.” The general laughed.  
“Now, now, general.” The doctor barked a laugh. “We should set an example for the young ladies.” He laughed as he raised his hand, clicking it. All six girls shuddered and blinked rapidly as they looked around the hall.  
“Alright girls, the general and I have discussed and we both agree that you shall have the weekend off, you all have worked ever so hard this week. Go and enjoy your break, keep up your training and practice however.” The doctor said as he dismissed the group of six. All of them smiled and saluted the doctor and general before the turned to leave.  
All of them fled the hall with smiles on their faces, none of them looking too concerned. It was like nothing ever happened. The general and doctor stood by and watched the girls go, both with smirks growing larger by the second as the girls left. 

Doctor Fennhoff spent the next three and a half weeks monitoring the soldiers and widows in their classes closely. Ensuring that the wipes and brainwashing stuck which it had better than he intended. He enjoyed the remaining time he had with the girls and the soldiers. They were truly his greatest pieces of work. His legacy to Hydra and the K.G.B. The night before he was to leave for Moscow before heading state side the doctor had cancelled the evening classes, having servers bring up a small feast to the widows accommodation, where the six young girls, two winter soldiers and the doctor himself spent one final evening with his legacy. 

He gave the girls pep talks and encouraged them to make great improvements and push themselves during training and told them how proud he was of them, calling them his daughters. He said similar praises to the soldiers and spoke of how proud he was for his small family and how he would miss them all when he was in America undercover. 

The girls where very emotional when it came time to say goodbye. Saying goodbye to the doctor was the hardest thing they have had to do since they became widows. There love and respect for him ever so exposed as they said their goodbyes. They knew it was only for a few months but it still hurt. Stepan and Yakov hugged the doctor and told him they would be in the states within a day if he was in trouble. All in all, the entire doctor felt pride as he looked upon the eight people who had become his finest pieces of work. The months in America would be almost boring without them.

1960

February

It was a bleak February morning when the girl’s daily routine was interrupted. All operatives where to remain in there allocated building. All students where to make their way to their classrooms, where breakfast, lunch and dinner would be served to them. Madame B had arrived curtly to the girl’s room, greyer than normal and her eyes puffy and red. She released them quickly from their handcuffs, tying them to their beds. Instructing them to get washed quickly, ordering them all to shower and dress in their formal uniforms. Their hair was to be pulled into tight ballerina buns and they were to wait in there small living area. She informed them that the winter soldiers where to be along in an hour top to wait with them and have further orders. 

All six girls quickly nodded and followed her orders, all scrubbing the sweat and grime off their bodies and quickly brushing their teeth. There must be a high up officer coming to inspect them. They had seen this before once or twice. It didn’t take long for them to emerge from the bathroom and back into their bed room where they proceeded to get changed. Taking out there formal uniforms and there training uniform, placing both on their beds and they moved to change. 

The formal uniform the red room supplied the girls was a white blouse with knee length black skirts with the option of tights or knee high grey socks. Many girls chose the tights during winter and the socks during summer. They had maroon waist coats and bow like neck ties and a matching black blazer with the current red room logo on the breast pocket. A far cry from a normal soviet girl’s school uniform, but it was one that spoke of privilege and a high class status none the less. All of them wore plain black pumps as they sat around in a circle doing one another’s hair. Everyone was silent; there matron’s words suggested something had happened. Whatever it was however would not be spoken of. Yet they all wondered what still… after all they were spies.

The girls heard a knock at the main door and heard there access code being pushed. All of them quickly moved to stand off in a line facing the door. All six where relieved when they saw their big brothers enter their quarters. Stepka and Yasha walked into the living room area quickly and shut the door behind them. The first thing they noticed was that there beards where shaved and there shoulder length hair had been shaved up into military cuts. Both where in their dress uniforms, Stepka’s lined with his Kapitan insignia’s and Yasha’s with his serzhant’s. They had numerous medals on their chests. It was the first time that the six of them had seen this uniform. But what stood out were there puffy red eyes. Stepka and Yasha just pulled the girls into a hug as they both approached the girls. 

“What’s happened?” Natalia asked as she spoke up for the girls. Stepka spoke up after a minute.  
“Doctor Fennhoff… on his last mission to the states came home sick.” He said. The girls nodded, remembering that the doctor had left for a long term mission in the states over six months before hand. He had gone out to collaborate on a project with Doctor Zola of hydra, drafting up fool proof plans and fail safes. Plans to ensure that hydra lived on. The doctor however returned with a bad cough and a grey pallor… he had been seen by the girls twice since his return before he was taken to the medical ward. They never saw him again after that. He had told them not to worry about him, to remain strong and keep training. To make him proud, whilst he recovered.  
“Typhoid fever…” Yasha added softly as he patted their backs.  
“He passed away in his sleep last night… we’re going to Moscow for his funeral; you girls are coming with us, Madame B and the general. We are leading the procession to the airfield. All other girls are going to be standing beside as his coffin is taken from the base to the airfield.” The blonde spoke up. All the girls looked devastated as they looked at their big brothers. Some of them began to cry into their brothers arms; others looked impassive… like nothing had happened. None of them could believe that there beloved and doting grandfather had gone. All of them remained silent as they hugged one another for what seemed like an eternity.

“You girls should pack. There will be two guards coming by shortly with the servers. We are all having breakfast together then we join the precession at ten hundred hours. The guards are collecting your essentials, they will be giving you winter boots and woollen coats, you’ll be provided with civilian clothes and small suitcases on the plane.” Stepka said as he pulled out six small bags, and two boxes, one small a black box containing six bracelets, the other grey and large.  
“For toiletries and underwear, so a toothbrush, a bar of soap, two pairs of Socks, two or more pairs of Underpants, and of course a spare bra and your pumps for the funeral.” He said as Yakov took the box and handed them out the bracelets.  
“These have trackers in them and a panic button. Keep these on at all times. If you get separated from us in the capital you can be assured we will find you with these on. If you see one of the states most wanted foreign intelligent agents you are not to engage and push the panic button. If they approach you, press the panic button and run, hide where you can.” Stepka opened the second box and pulled out six sets of knives and garrottes as well as six of the red rooms smallest service pistols.  
“These are your weapons, you are to hide them on your body and in your uniform, there is a single spetsnav, two stiletto knives, two switch blades, a garrotte that doubles as a necklace and a final knife hidden as a ring, the blade hidden under a metal flower ornament, small enough to look like nothing, yet deadly enough to slice open an artery in a precise strike. There’s one magazine in the pistols. Keep them safe, keep them hidden. Use them only if it’s a last resort.” The blonde said as he patted their heads. The girls nodded and headed back to their bedrooms, putting their training uniforms away as they packed their small bag with their few belongings and hid the weapons. 

The girls returned to the main living area and saw the servers had arrived, they had begun to plate up each girls bowl of porridge, a round of toast each, hand out there fruit and hand them over cups of hot tea. The widows watched as the servers handed out extra breakfast meals to the soldaty. Next to the servers were two soldiers, which had arrived with a small trolley. The girls handed over there bags as their teachers had instructed. The guard nodded and returned there gesture, handing them six red woollen coats and six pairs of winter boots, each in there sizes.  
“Eat… it’s a long flight to Moscow.” Stepka murmurs as they all gather around there small living quarters, the soldiers making sure there thirteen and fourteen year old sisters eat there fills before beginning to eat their own. 

At ten o clock, the soldiers and the six widows made their way out to the main compound building, the reception. It was the building where all paper work was stored, the matrons lived, and where the general’s office and apartment was located. There the girls followed the soldiers down and into the large church. This was the only part of the building any girl was familiar with. It was an orthodox church that was used on Sundays, for the hour long service everyone on the compound attended. The widows followed them to the altar where the general and Madame B stood. There were six soldiers the girls recognised as guards, dressed in their formal uniform. As the eight of them approached the four saluted them.  
The girls and the soldaty saluted back. 

“Girls, you will follow behind the soldiers. We will walk behind the hearses until we reach the compound gates. There we will split off into four cars. The general will be going with two guards, Galina and Irina will be coming with me, Anya and Svetlana will go with Kapitan Rogov, Yelena and Natalia will go with Serzhant Baranov. From there we will be transported to the airfield, and then we will go to the capital by plane. From there we will be taking a train into the capital and transferred to the chapel where the doctor will lay in until the funeral in a days’ time. Accommodation has been arranged to stay in a wing of the kremlin. You will be monitored during this time for protection against the states enemies.”  
“Yes Madame B.” the girl quietly spoke up as they looked at the coffin. None of them could believe that he had gone. It felt far different that seeing there classmate be killed for failure. None of them liked this feeling. 

They stood in silence as they watched the guards move into formation and pick up the coffin, placing it on their shoulders. The general walked behind the coffin first with Madame B next to him, followed by the soldiers and then six little girls. They exited the chapel and watched as the guards loaded the coffin into the back of the recently bought motorised hearse. The coffin was visible to all through the large glass windows. A lone bouquet of bright red roses where placed on top of the coffin.  
All the students lined up alongside the path the hearse was to take to the main, heavily guarded compound gates where the rest of the convoy awaited. All of them watching the hearse begin to slowly move off, every girl saluting to the doctor as the vehicle passed by them. The six young widow students followed behind the soldiers and their general and matron silently, each girl in step beside one another. 

None of the girls said anything as they followed the cortege, each emotionless and robotical as they walked from the compounds chapel to the main gates. They split up into their assigned groups and went with their teachers into the jeeps that where awaiting them. 

They wished their first trip to the capital wasn’t under such a sorrowful event. The idea of their first trip to the capital being for commendation for their future work as spies now marred by the knowledge of what the capital would only ever remind them off. Of the reaper whom has been a presence with the girls all their lives. Death doesn’t discriminate. It’s just there. Ever looming and constant… like the presence of guards and KGB officers around the girls. 

It was perhaps the most merciful death that Natalia had ever seen. To pass from illness and old age. How she hoped her and her sisters would be rewarded with a merciful death when there time came. 

1961

November

Natalia was running through the thick dark forest that surrounded the compound. All six widows had been armed with a knife and a garrotte and told they had until sunset to run and hide. They were to be hunted by the winter soldiers.  
That order had been given to them at dawn the day before. The soldiers where to be released after them once nightfall fell. The last widow to return to base with the soldiers where to return to base victorious and with a reward awaiting them. Most likely a whole roasted pig with trimmings, and perhaps an escape from extra survival lessons. 

Natalia took off through the forest with her sisters, all of them running a good kilometre in the same direction before they all split up. Whilst all of them kept running in different directions, Natalia traced back her footsteps and returned to the compound. Whilst her sisters fled west through the forests, she fled east, going eastwards past the compound and running towards the mountains she knew where to the east. By mid-day she had reached the mountains and had set up various traps along the careful route she had chosen. After hitting the top of the mountain and laying the path up with traps, she traversed down the gorges on the other side, sliding down rock faces and hopping from ledge to ledge as she began to run alongside a stream. The trees were not as thick in the mountain top and she knew that she couldn’t lay any homemade traps here. It was too risky and too open. No she had to continue running and put as much distance between the compound and herself as possible. 

As she got further down the other side of the mountain, Natalia decided that she would stop and curb her hunger pains for a while, taking to hunting a few small rabbits, using some twine and stoned as a slingshot. Setting up a basic fire by the river as she cleaned out the rabbits and began to cook them on a large flat stone. The entire process took up an hour of her time, including the time it took to eat the rabbits and hide the remnants of her fire. She hoped that the hour spent resting and refuelling would be worth it as she placed a few traps around the area for worry the soldiers would look for her there. 

Now, Natalia was jumping from tree to tree in the thick forest, easily over one hundred kilometres away from the compound but with all the running she had done it felt like it was more than a thousand. She hoped her efforts to throw them off had worked. 

Natalia was alone in this forest apart from the few howls and roars she heard. The moon had begun to lower itself in the sky at this point, telling the teen that it was easily the early hours of the morning. She did nothing but push herself into the darkness of the hollow tree she had found, the hollow being more than eight meters off the ground made it a good place to hide to stay away from bears and wolves. She just hoped that it would be good enough to hide her from the soldiers. 

Natalia couldn’t tell what time it was only that it was early in the morning. She wondered how many of her sisters had been caught at this stage. Deep in her thoughts she didn’t realise the noise around her wasn’t of an ordinary forest dweller. Pulling herself out of her thoughts as she saw movement in the distance, hugging the shadows, she stiffened when she heard the familiar hum of servos. 

They found her. 

Natalia bit her lip as she looked out at the approaching soldier, the metal arm gleaming in the moon light, revealing it to be Stepan with his metallic right arm. In the pale moonlight he looked like a wraith. His hair white and skin a haunting white colour like a wraith whilst his tactical gear cloaked him in shadows. Making for a scary hunter. Natalia wondered how many people had seen the soldier like this before their deaths. 

The teen leapt from the tree as a metal fist punched through the tree from behind her, getting a swear out of the teen as she forgot about Yakov. Where one soldier was the other was always close by, they taught her that already and she forgot it. Too mesmerised by the view of what many would only say was death. 

The hunt was on as Natalia jumped from tree to tree, Both soldiers on her tail. Leading her to run back and forth through the forest, hopping to get them with some of her traps. She had a success when she heard a snap and one grunt of pain come from behind her. Giving her a few moments to climb back up into the trees and jump from tree to tree. 

After five minutes of hopping again, she pushed herself up against the trunk of another tree. She hoped she had disappeared from the soldiers but knew that it wouldn’t be long before they caught up to her again. 

After another five minutes, Natalia pushed herself away from the tree trunk she had pushed herself against, ready to begin running and putting more distance between her and the soldiers. She heard whirring servos behind her as she turned to face the noise. She didn’t get to see which one had found her as they tackled her from her branch, getting them both to fall from the tree and onto the hard ground below. Nat groaned in pain as the soldier above her pined her down, placing a knife flush against her neck. 

“Yield, I yield.” She spat as she glared at Stepka who was above her. Stepan chuckled behind his mask as he removed the knife from her neck, Yakov moved forward clapping as he laughed.  
“Well done Natalia. You made Stepka desperate enough to just full out body tackle you.” He laughed as he held his flesh arm against his shoulder, keeping it pressed tightly against the stab would that came from one of the pitfall traps.

“It works.” Stepan chuckled. “It throws your opponent off and opens their defences.”  
“Ignore him Natalia, he likes to jump bridal style into the enemy and crush them,” Yakov laughed.  
“You caught me. How long?” the red head asked breathlessly as Stepan pulled her up into a sitting position.  
“You’re the last Natalia.”  
“The general let us loose at mid-day.” Yakov chuckled as he took in her surprised expression.  
“What?”  
“It’s part of the lesson. The enemy doesn’t play fair Natalia, they will lie, cheat and steal and you are not to take their word at face value.” Stepan said as he patted the dust and pine needles off her  
“So how did you find me?”  
“After we caught your sisters we found the clearing where you all split up and saw only five tracks away from the area, meaning that you had tracked back and went the entire opposite direction. It took us a while to pick up your track; you hid very well and had many traps and paths throwing us off.” Yakov spoke.  
“However, you didn’t clear your fire up as well as you thought.” Stepan said as he reached under her boot, picking up a small piece of charcoal. “The charcoal left a mark over some of the stone paths you made, whilst others would overlook it, it was enough for us to follow you. This wouldn't be a problem normally but in this case we caught you. A lesson for the future, always check your shoes after clearing an area, they could be what give you away.”  
“Drat.” The teen sighed.  
“You did better than the rest; we caught Yelena before sun set. It’s now sunrise.” Yakov smirked as he threw his arms around her shoulder as the three of them set off back towards the base. The sky brightening to the distance as Natalia looked eastwards. 

“Huh. I guess I did.” She said.  
“You are sometimes too humble in your skills Natalia, Your better than you think.” Stepan told her. “Whilst it’s good that you don’t over estimate your abilities, you recently have taken to underestimating yourself. You’re capable of far more than you think you are.” He added.  
“You’re the best out of your sisters Natalia, were proud of you. Another few months and we’d say you’ll be on me and Stepan’s level. Not much longer and you’ll be graduating. Galina, Irina and Anya are to graduate next year around the times of there birthdays. You’ll be far superior to them by the time your graduation comes around Kotenok.” Yakov laughed as he ruffled her hair. 

“Thank you.” The teen said with a faint smile as the three made their way back up the mountain and back towards the compound. She rarely smiled around her sisters but found that when she was with her brothers she always found herself smiling whether she wanted to or not.

It took them a few hours to traverse the mountain side, all three of them tired and hungry from the day of hunting and tracking, but all of them made it to the compound by the afternoon. Natalia greeted by the general who saluted her and shook her hand, congratulating her on outlasting the rest. The five other widows smiled at her as the soldiers and Natalia made their way back towards the red brick building that was there accommodation.

A feast laid out for the widow and soldiers in their dorms as they returned. 

It was a well-earned treat after such a long hunt. 

1962

Date Classified.

Irina whimpers as she is dragged through the hard gravel courtyard in front of the widow’s compound building. The young woman was battered black and blue with bruises, had crushed fingers and toes and hundreds of burn marks and gashes. She was dragged on through the cold October frost bare footed and naked. Blood dripping from various open wounds onto the gravel below her. 

She had been dragged by two guards from the basements sub levels where she had been for the past week. She spent her first and last week as a sixteen year old young woman being punished for her failure. Fifteen handlers, herself and the winter soldiers, had been tasked with kidnapping and executing the child of a rogue Jewish Slovakian millionaire and his wife who was sending funds to offshore accounts. She had let the child and the family flee. Targets fled to France before disappearing off red room radar. She was sedated on the return journey along with her teachers. 

This meant that not only was she punished severely for this but she had failed her final test. Something they only found out after she had returned.  
General Dreykov and the winter soldiers came marching out of the building and stood before the line up on the court yard. It was only the four remaining widows, Madame B and four additional guards, to sedate the remaining girls if they choose to act out. 

“Irina, you have failed us. Your mission was simple, you where to kidnap and execute the child of a state traitor who was embezzling funds to our enemies. The soldiers failed there follow up mission because of this and the family have fled to beyond our reach because of your actions. We cannot have that. Six years ago you were given and entrusted with the super soldier serum in your veins, to protect the union and to ensure our enemies remain neutral against us. For this betrayal and failure you have been punished, as have your teachers due to your actions, and furthermore, you have failed your final test.” The general spat at her, his disgust evident in his voice. The remaining four widows looked over to their teachers and saw the bruises and burns that littered there skin. It took a lot of damage to make a bruise that dark last for more than an hour on their bodies. They didn’t want to know the extent of their beating. Their eyes met the girls for a moment and they could see the shame and fear that where held in them.

“Kapitan, see to it this traitor receives her dues.” The general said, holding out a revolver with a lone bullet in it. 

Irina looked up at her teacher, her older brother, her gaze begging for mercy. 

Her blood splattered over the courtyard as the single bullet shot through her brain. 

“Disgusting.” The general said as he kicked the corpse. “It would break doctor Fennhoff’s poor heart to see his girls betray him and his work. Let this be a lesson now girls. Failure is not optional, Irina had always had a heart that was too big, and that heart is responsible for risking many field operatives. Do not make that mistake. Care for your sisters… and your two brothers and no more, but if they jeopardize the mission, jeopardize the state. Kill them.” He finished as he turned around and marched back to the compound. 

None of the girls said anything as Madame B dismissed them and the soldiers. They remained passive. The four guards remained behind to transfer the corpse to the scientists, many eager to tear apart the body of an enhanced super soldier. Once they had there fun it would be cremated like the rest of the red rooms failures. 

1963

November

Natalia awoke slowly for a change, something she had only done once or twice before. It was unnerving but at the same time comforting. She sat up in her bed and stretched as well as she could, handcuff bound to her bed. Not that she would remain handcuffed much longer. Her birthday was coming up soon, which meant her graduation. She was the last one now in the widow program, four of her five sisters having graduated and placed in the field. None of her sisters returned to the base after they graduated. Madame B looked cheerful as she quickly entered the young woman’s accommodation. Instructing Natalia that she should eat as much as she could in the canteen before reporting back to the building for morning class.  
She did have the unfortunate sight of watching Irina’s execution as she failed the year before. She had been tasked with shooting a business owner high up in the union with various political connections. They had been sending money to offshore accounts and it was her job to receive the information as to the account then eliminate the family. They escaped and where no longer touchable. The execution brought the widow programs first failure out of years of training. Since then the girls closed off their hearts, showing no emotion when training unless required, and little emotion when they were around there own sisters. The few evenings where Stepka and Yasha visited them where some of the only real times any of the girls smiled for more than five minutes. 

In recent months though since then, Anya, Svetlana and Yelena had graduated, leaving only Natalia left. She had been moved out of the large six bed roomed dormitory and into a small single bed roomed apartment which was located next to the winter soldiers. It was easier to guard her and them that way, less men where needed in there building.  
She made her way out of the compound heading off towards the canteen building. It was quieter now, many of the older classes having graduated, leaving only a four main year groups left, anyone under the age of five had been transferred out to other red room facilities years ago when Natalia received the serum. Those girls where young enough to not have been influenced by Shostakov. All the older girls had to prove their loyalty under general Dreykov watchful eye.  
She was the only widow left on base now however, which gave her a wide birth. No student wanted to approach the scariest, most lethal and most successful student to ever grace the red room. The servers smiled and handed her over a tray laden with more food than she usually would get, extra fruit, extra bottles of water, extra rounds of toast. She took it all without saying a single word. 

Wolfing the food down in record time before leaving her tray back up to the hatch. She made her way back over to her main building and entered the gym. There her teachers and the general where already awaiting her. With them was another man of whom she recognised as general Karpov. The soldiers commander.  
“Good morning young Natalia.” Dreykov said with a pleasant smile on his face as he looked at her proudly.  
“Good morning general Dreykov sir. Good morning general Karpov sir.” She said and snapped both a salute.  
“At ease young Natalia.” Karpov said with a proud look on his face as he looked at the soldiers. They had done well training the widows. 5 out of 6 was not a bad score. Especially when this one widow before him was worth the price of two.  
“Your graduation is only about a week away now young Natalia.” Dreykov spoke up.  
“Yes sir it is sir.”  
“As you know we task you all with one final task with international significance. All your sisters had missions of international significance and now so do you. Those missions where there graduation. Pull it off and you are a black widow operative.” The general said as he moved to take a step towards her, handing over a brown file in his hand. “Your mission begins today and will be the most gloried of all your graduations, You are traveling to Dallas, Texas in the united states, where during the presidential parade through the city streets you will be tasked with the assassination of the president of the united States. In this file you will find all mission information. You have until 12 hundred hours to read it, memorise it and make your way to basement sub level two. There you will arm up and receive all equipment needed for this mission including civilian clothes, your Black widow stealth suit, I.D, weapons and American currency. You will stick close to the Soldaty in the days before the assassination and perform surveillance and reconnaissance. You will also meet up with one of our agents who will take the blame for the assassination. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what happens to failures.” The general said.  
“No sir, I understand the consequences of failure sir. Failure endangers my sister, the red room, the red guard and all our operative and risks valuable KGB information landing in the hands of the enemy.” The red headed widow replied.  
“Good my girl. Doctor Fennhoff would be proud of you Natalia. You always where the smartest of them all, the bravest, the most successful of them all. I hope to see you successful on your return.” The general said, pleased with her answer. “See Karpov, I told you the Soldiers did well. They have been some of the best teachers I have ever seen.” The general complimented his fellow general. 

“Kapitan Rogov and Serzhant Baranov have always produced successful work with the tasks we set them, but not all the success is there to claim, Madame B has work tirelessly over the years too. Your work has been outstanding Madame.” Karpov said as he nodded towards his own men.  
“Good, Natalia, you are dismissed. Do not be late.” The woman said as she dismissed the young woman before her. Natalia nodded and took the file to her room, reading over it and packing a bag of her most essential items. She could do this. She was a black Widow. She would not fail.

Location: Dallas Texas. 

Date 22rd November. 

Mission: Graduation test of final black widow student Natalia Romanova. Target: President John F. Kennedy. Assisting Operatives: Winter soldiers; winter kapitan, winter serzhant. Ten additional operatives, two get away drivers, two pilots, six handlers overseeing all three assets from a distance. Four handlers will remain behind to ensure S.h.i.e.l.d and C.I.A suspect no other foul play, two will return to get away van and secure all three assets. Loyal red guard member, Lee Harvey Oswald, an American deserter will take the fall, he is to be guarded by the kapitan whilst the serzhant will remain in place as a backup sniper. 

Recon: No further notes, expected shield and c.i.a presence noted. One shield team and two teams of c.i.a agents. No further changes to mission plans.  
Further Notes: General Karpov will be joining assets in van for this mission. Upon return to rendezvous, all three assets will be sedated on return journey. All memories of red room are to be wiped away from soldiers and successful operative will be wiped of their memories of the soldiers and is to be triggered for future missions with widow operatives. All programming has already been installed into each Widow from before Doctor Fennhoff’s untimely death. All other programming and trigger words have activated the widow operatives as designed to. Only Black widow operative Natalia Romanova awaits the full re-activation of her programming, triggers and wipes. Winter Soldiers will return to cryogenic suspension in Siberia base after a thorough full cleanse wipe with the clean slate protocol. If Black widow student Natalia Romanova succeeds then she will remain under sedation during transfer to a red room base located in St. Petersburg after receiving a wipe and trigger activation in main Red Guard Siberia base. 

Sedation required keeping the soldiers from interfering with the procedure of programming and memory alteration with newest Widow Operative. 

Walking down the street with a violin case firmly held in her grasp, a lone red headed teen minded with the crowd. Dancing in between people gracefully and silently. People took no notice of it, too many where excited for the arrival of the president. No one noticed that she walked the opposite direction, away from the crowds and away from the main parade route. She was just another American teenager heading off to a music lesson. She quickly popped off into an alleyway and took a look around, ensuring she wasn’t followed and that she was out of sight of camera’s, street view and view of any civilians… or the few shield agents she had spotted, before making her way into the building. By jumping up to an open window on the first floor.  
She quickly made her way up through the building to the room she was required to be in. Navigating was easy when you had memorised the layout, and an enhanced eidetic memory didn’t hurt either. She quickly and quietly made her way up to the sixth floor. There three people were awaiting her. 

“Where you followed?”  
“No.” she quietly replied as she turned to look at who had asked her the question. It was the kapitan.  
“Any known faces?” he asked her  
“The agent was amongst the crowd, she had a team of level six operatives with her. Eight S.H.I.E.L.D operatives in total.” The sixteen year old informed them. Yasha grunted whilst Stepka remained expressionless yet tense. Director Carter of the U.S intelligence agency Shield was down there in the crowd. She would be the biggest risk to the operation.  
“One hour Natalia.” Yasha muttered as he kept a look out of the window. His rifle sat flat on the floor, out of view, painted white to blend in with the white curtains.  
The young woman nodded as she slowly moved into position, sitting down next to him, hidden in the shadows; out of view yet still able to look over the parade route. 

At the forty fifth minute, Natalia quickly and quietly began to piece the rifle she had hidden in the violin case together. It was as white as the curtains and had been gently hidden under the instrument in the case. 

At the fifty fifth minute she placed it on the window ledge.

At the fifty ninth minute, she knocked the safety off.

As the Ford Lincoln came around the corner and down the parade route she lined up her crosshairs, her finger on the trigger. 

She fired. 

Missing and hitting the president’s neck. 

She panicked her eyes wide as she re-aligned her rifle and fired two more shots, both hitting his head. 

“Hurry. We only have minutes to leave before the city is on lockdown.” Yasha snapped as he thrust his rifle into Oswald’s hands, for fingerprints, and set it down on a crate by the window. Natalia had already begun to take the rifle apart, quickly placing it back into the case. 

“Come on.” Stepka motioned as the three of them quickly left the room, running to the stair weld. Stepka jumped down the stairs entire flights at a time, throwing himself over the rails. Yasha followed his lead as he and Natalia followed, the young widow followed her teachers lead. All three of them leaving the building out the same first floor window the widow operative entered through. 

“Congratulations Black Widow. You’ve passed. You may have missed the first shot but it’ll be more believable for Oswald to take the blame now. If they ask tell them that’s what you aimed for. A non-professional job makes it look less like a state sanctioned assassination.” Yasha quietly told her.  
“You’ve done us proud kiddo.” Stepan smiled as the three of them made their way to the block where there transport was located.  
“Thanks Kapitan, Serzhant.” The red head shot them a smile.  
“Happy birthday, Kotenok.” Yasha shot back with a look of his own. She would have seen a grin plastered over his face if it hadn’t been for the muzzle like masks her teachers wore.  
“You’re a real young woman now.” Stepan chuckled at Yakov grin.  
“So do we get to party now?” She chuckled as the three of them rounded a corner. 

“There’s no party kitten… you go back to your sisters at your new base. You’re a widow now.” Stepka said after a moment.  
“We can sneak out and get some vodka can’t we?” the sixteen year old replied.  
“We ain’t going with ya kiddo.” Yakov murmured.  
“What? But you’re our teachers. Stepan, Yakov?” She asked with concern.  
“We were kiddo… but that job is over now. Yakov and I are returning to our main base with the Red Guard. We’ve taught you the skills you need to survive, to thrive.” Stepan said as the three of them slowed there pace as they came nearer there rendezvous.  
“But we’re a team.” She whined softly. She didn’t want to lose her two big brothers so soon.  
“You’re a good kid Natalia. Remember that. It’s been an honour teaching you. How we see you again depends on the circumstances. But we know you’d never betray us or your sisters.” Yakov replied softly as Stepan put his flesh hand on her shoulder.  
“We’ll see you again Natalia, not as your teachers, but as your allies. We’ll still be your brothers, to you, and to Galina, Anya, Svetlana and Yelena. We will meet again and then we’ll get that drink.” Stepka said as he and Yakov stopped and pulled her into a hug. 

“I’ll hold you to that Stepka, Yasha.” She chuckled as she wiped away a lone tear. The three of them remained silent as they arrived at their rendezvous. The three of them quickly hopped into the brown innocuous van and reported Natalia’s success to the main mission handler, general Karpov. 

“Congratulations Natalia Romanova, you are no longer a red room student but today graduate to a red room operative, The fifth Black widow operative.” The general said with a round of applause as the three of them made it into the van. Natalia hopped in first followed by Yakov and finally Stepan who shut the door behind them. He had just managed to sit down on the bench before they felt the van take off. They needed to get out of the city as soon as possible before the roads where on lockdown. 

“You have done well Operative Romanova. From today onwards you have been granted the luxuries that you as a widow have been promised, one of those is your true surname, granted you already knew about this, doctor Fennhoff told you that years ago.” The general barked a laugh. Stepka and Yakov tensed up, getting Natalia to tense up as well. Something in the general’s behaviour and body language wasn’t sitting right with her. “So allow me to give you my personal congratulations. Johann would be proud of you and your sisters. He would be proud of you both too Soldiers, you have spent the past six years drilling and training these girls to become the best and now they are. There’s only one thing left for us to do before you go back to your new base Operative Romanova. Sputnik.” The general said with a twisted grin. 

Natalia watched as Stepka and Yasha’s eyes rolled into the back of their heads as they passed out, slumping against the wall of the van. She couldn’t say anything or cry out for her brothers as she felt a needle pierce her shoulder. Within seconds her vision blurred and her voice slurred as she grasped the silver dart that stuck out from her shoulder. She just about made out Karpov pushing Stepka and Yakov onto the floor of the van, both onto their stomachs as he lifted their arms behind their backs and cuffed them in huge reinforced manacles. Natalia slumped forward as her vision began to blacken out. 

“Happy birthday, to our loyal, successful black widow operative, Natalia Alianovna Romanova. May it be memorable.” The general sneered as he lifted her head up. The general’s face was the last thing she saw as her world blacked out. 

With the rising tensions between the east and the west getting tighter and tenser every day and the cold war was just about to heat up. The era of the black widow had begun.


End file.
